Unpacking MLS offseason’s most intriguing signings and trades

It’s only been 49 days since the 2021 Major League Soccer season concluded with New York City FC’s triumphant MLS Cup win in Portland, and there are still 30 days before the 2022 campaign gets underway, yet it’s been an entertaining offseason so far.

The league’s embrace of its role in the global transfer market, that of a seller, has never been more evident than in this offseason. Players developed in MLS academies and U.S. colleges like Ricardo Pepi, Daryl Dike, Tajon Buchanan, Cole Bassett, Justin Che, James Sands and Kevin Paredes have all left for Europe. Rodolfo Pizarro, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Eduard Atuesta have left the league for some of the biggest clubs in South and Central America.

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Yet, in the face of these intriguing exports, there have been numerous deals that have seen fresh faces arrive and established stars move within the league. The Houston Dynamo smashed their transfer record to sign Sebastian Ferreira to a Designated Player deal. The LA Galaxy dealt longtime United States midfielder Sebastian Lletget to the New England Revolution.

So, with the transfers, trades, and subsequent questions, piling up, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle and Austin Lindberg looked into some of the most interesting, exciting and complex deals that have brought new players to new teams in MLS for 2022.

The Italy international was the offseason’s most spectacular capture given that his reported annual salary of $15 million is more than double the previous record of $7.2m (the reported part anyway) for former LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And it’s one that has led to questions about whether it’s a sign that MLS in general is loosening its purse strings, especially given the player’s pedigree and…