Teams around Major League Soccer continue to add to their squads as free agency is well and truly underway ahead of the 2024 campaign.
It’s that time of the year again. With Christmas past us and the New Year swiftly approaching, top pending free agents around the league will make their decisions on where they will be playing their trade in 2024 and beyond in the coming weeks.
Several MLS Cup winning players make the list, as it will only benefit teams to grab hold of those with the prize ‘winning mentality’ to help get results over the line in November and December.
Here are the top five MLS free agents as of today.
If any club is in need of a solid, reliable box-to-box midfielder that brings a winning mentality, then look no further than Kellyn Acosta.
The 28-year-old boasts 252 league appearances for the likes of FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids and LAFC, where he’s added 18 goals and 25 assists since his debut 2013 season.
It remains to be seen whether or not if he’ll re-sign with the Black and Gold after two seasons with the Western Conference side, with the USMNT figure still capable of providing first-team quality at this stage in his career.
Many wondered if Maxime Crepeau would be the same after his broken leg suffered in 2022 MLS Cup.
With the 2023 season done and dusted, Crepeau has officially declared himself as one of the league’s top goalkeepers after his performances that helped them reach a second straight MLS Cup.
At 29-years-old, Crepeau is just about to hit the prime years for a shot-stopper and would be a fantastic signing for any club looking to bring in a new era of goalkeeping in between the sticks.
Wagner looks set to depart Philadelphia Union after five seasons at Subaru Park, where he established himself as one of the best crossers in the league regardless of where he was playing.
The Germany international has posted 39 assists in 138 MLS appearances all from a defensive position, but he may want to try his luck in Europe given his recent suspension after using a racial slur in the Union’s first round game one clash with New England Revolution.
Should Wagner join an MLS side as a free agent, he would be sidelined for the first game of the regular season as part of his suspension while also bringing along baggage that not many MLS fans would be up for.
Like Wagner, Julian Gressel is also one of the more versatile players in the league that has a knack for setting up his teammates.
Coming off his second career MLS Cup win, Gressel has been heavily linked with a move down south to Inter Miami, where he would fit like a glove in head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s 3-5-2 system as the right wing-back.
If Gressel does sign for another MLS side, it’ll be the fifth different one he’ll play for in his career.
Although Miles Robinson was a finalist for 2023 Comeback Player of the Year, his performances left a lot to be desired as Atlanta leaked in 53 goals during the regular season.
While that wasn’t all Robinson’s fault, the 26-year-old still didn’t have the best comeback season ever. He had his good moments as well as his bad moments, and Atlanta has an offer on the table for him, but it’s rumored that he’s looking for a Designated Player deal like Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman — something the Five Stripes won’t be doing.
Nonetheless, he’s still a solid defender that very well could be on his way to Europe to keep himself in the USMNT setup.
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