Most of the leagues in Europe have activated the vacation mode. Some of them, the transfer market mode also. For this article, our focus will shift to the Americas—concretely to MLS. For the last decade, the league has gone from being a place for players searching for their last big payday to becoming a window of opportunity for players and clubs.
In recent years, the MLS has not only been exporting players with good potential but also earning a financial return that would have seemed unthinkable not long ago.
The €16.5 million Atlanta United earned from the sale of Miguel Almirón represents the biggest profit ever made by an MLS club on a player transfer. Five deals have generated over €10 million in profit in the MLS. Almirón’s the only one which happened prior to 2023.
Maybe one of the six U23 players we’re presenting today will become another success story for MLS.
Obed Vargas – 2005 – Seattle Sounders
This dual-nationality midfielder (Chilean and American) is the youngest—and also the smallest (1.75m)—on our list. He’s a controller. He takes the game by the scruff of the neck from Seattle’s double pivot. In positional terms, he’s more of a ‘8’ than he’s of a ‘6’.
This profile suite him well: he’s in the top 20% of midfielders for pass complation (87.9%) and in the 15% in terms of secutiry. Vargas averages just 0.07 turnovers per game. He’s important in building up attacks and his technique is clean enough to orchestrate the offensive game of Seattle. Vargas ranks 8th among MLS midfielders in xGBuildUp (0.6 per game).
However, he also shows up in attacking zones. With 38, he has registered the 4th most touches in the opposition box for Seattle. Bearing in mind that Seattle’s most common formation is a 3-4-3, Vargas’s progressive numbers —whether they come from passing or carrying the ball—massively helps the team find the forward players.
The downside of his profile is his limited defensive impact. He ranks below average in defensive actions and only slightly above average in defensive duels—getting dribbled past once in every four tackles.
Jack McGlynn – 2003 – Houston Dynamo
Are you looking for a wide-area specialist? Someone who’s always willing to pass the ball towards goal and can deliver crosses into the box? Well, look no further. We’ve got you covered. Jack McGlynn is your man.
The problem is if you are looking for something else more than that. In that case, you might want to look elsewhere. There’s not much else to McGlynn’s game.
On the bright side: among 60 wingers in the MLS with over 450’ minutes played, McGlynn ranks 3rd in completed passes into the penalty area, 2nd in ball-progressions and 1st in completed crosses per game, with a whooping 3.21 accurate crosses.
On the flip side: he ranks 52nd in completed dribbles, 55th in xG per match, and dead last (60th) in touches in the opposition box.
In short, while McGlynn is already a useful player, he has the tools to be much more.
This is especially evident in his shooting: though technically proficient, his shot selection is poor. He takes 2 shots per game—well above average—but generates only 0.07 xG per match. 80% of his shots have had a goal-probability of 5% or less. Only 6 of his 30 attempts have come from inside the box.
He trusts his shot more than the data suggests he should.
Carlos Garcés – 2001 – LA Galaxy
Carlos Garcés is a defender who loves to defend. That’s a great start. A proper defender. All that stuff about line-breaking passes, being the first midfielder in possession, or building out from the back—it’s not his thing.
He’s agressive, closes down space, moves quickly, and wins his ground battles. And let’s not act like he can pass the ball.
His biggest strength lies in one-on-one defending. The Colombian centre-back wins nearly 7 out of every 10 defensive duels. Garcés ranks 11th among mLS centre-backs in defensive duel win percentage
His defensive technique is solid: he always tries to minimize space for the His timing is great as well as his decision making when tackling opponents. Also, he’s a consistent defender in those aspects: Garcés averages the 6th highest number of successful tackles per game and tackle success rate (89.1%). Good numbers.
The drawback in Garcés’ game is his passing ability. He’s not reliable when it comes to building from the back. He ranks 3rd among MLS centre-backs in dangerous turnovers (losses within 40 meters of his own goal), with 1.39 per 90 minutes. While he does accumulate progressions, they’re mostly via long balls, not short passes between the lines.
If you ask Garcés to be a front-foot defender and keep things simple in possession, he becomes a valuable centre-back.
Kevin Kelsy – 2004 – Portland Timbers
Kelsy is the third-most expensive signing in Portland Timbers history, having joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for €6 million. In between, a loan spell with Cincinnati, in which he netted 7 goals in 1,452 minutes. This year, he has 4 goals in 692 minutes. At 20 years old and 1.93 meters tall, Kelsy is physically dominant in duels and strong in the air. He ranks 5th among MLS strikers in aerial duel win percentage (47.6%) and 10th in Aerial Efficiency.
Adding to his physical profile, he’s got ability at finding shooting positions—especially from wide crosses or cutbacks. His shot-to-goal ratio has improved massively this season, going up from 19.4% to 36.4%. Nearly 4 in every 10 shots end in a goal.
Still, he’s not a high-volume striker, so it would be worth seeing him in a context where he can increase his current 1.43 shots per game. At least he’s finding good shooting positions, with 0.19 xG per shot. Whether he’s a good option for teams will be more clear when he starts to take more shots.
Diego Luna – 2003 – Real Salt Lake
MLS’s Young Player of the Year deserves a spot in this list. Luna is a short (1.73m), stocky playmaker who takes on the accelerator rol at Real Salt Lake. He “accelerates” play by being the one who receives the ball once the first line is broken. This is reflected in his 13.1 progressive passes received per game. He’s the player through whom attacks go—and often finish.
When he’s on the pitch, Luna is heavily involved in buildup: he accounts for 14% of his team’s xGBuildUp. He’s also critical in end-product: 18.6% of his team’s touches in the box and 14.8% of their xG from open play come from him.
He’s also in the top 14% of midfielders for shots per game (1.66) and in the top 15% for involvement in shot-ending sequences (5.49 per game).
Quinn Sullivan – 2004 – Philadelphia Union
Sullivan might be the most complete player on this list right now—though perhaps also the one with the least room for growth. He’s a physically strong winger who ranks above average in several key metrics: shots (66th percentile), dribbles completed in the final third (62nd), entries into the box by pass or carry (67th), xA from open play (79th), cross efficiency (96th), and final-third depth (67th).
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In short, he’s a well-rounded attacker who can cross, find space to shoot, and combine to get into the box—and he can play on both wings.
His physical profile adds value to his game. High-speed runs account for 7.82% of his total distance covered per match, and sprints make up 5.13%—both comfortably above average.
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This shows in his pressing intensity. He ranks 3rd among MLS wingers in successful pressures per game and 9th in high-intensity pressures.
In an increasingly export-driven MLS, these six U23 talents are more than just prospects—they’re signs of where the league is headed. If one of them shines in Europe, it won’t be a surprise—it’ll be proof that things are being done right here.
