Wire flash
USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter finalizing $2M transfer to Middlesbrough
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter is finalizing a transfer from Vancouver Whitecaps to Middlesbrough in the English Championship, according to sources. The 25-year-old, out of contract this winter, will move in the summer window for a fee around $2 million. Berhalter, son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, played in all five US matches at the 2026 World Cup, scoring against Turkey. He was named to the MLS Best XI in 2025 and earned All-Star recognition in 2026. He had five goals and 13 assists last season, helping Vancouver reach the MLS Cup final and Concacaf Champions Cup final. Berhalter joins fellow American midfielder Aidan Morris at Middlesbrough. His rise from a $50,000 MLS acquisition to a World Cup player and Championship transfer is highlighted as a remarkable story.
Source report
Charlotte Wilson / Getty Images
By Tom Bogert
Middlesbrough is finalizing a deal to sign U.S. national team midfielder Sebastian Berhalter from the Vancouver Whitecaps, sources briefed on the deal tell The Athletic.
Berhalter, who is out of contract this winter, will make the move during the summer transfer window. Boro will pay a fee in the region of $2 million, sources say, rather than allowing Berhalter to walk for free in the winter. Around 6–10 clubs seriously pursued Berhalter this summer, sources add.
He was held out of the Whitecaps’ 4–3 loss to FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night as the deal advanced.
Player Profile
- Age: 25
- Position: Box-to-box midfielder
- National Team: 18 caps for the United States
- World Cup 2026: Featured in all five U.S. matches (one start), scored a goal vs. Turkey in the group stage, and added an assist
- MLS Honors: Named to the MLS Best XI in 2025; earned All-Star recognition in 2026
Recent Performance
Berhalter recorded five goals and 13 assists across all competitions last season. He helped lead the Whitecaps to:
- The Canadian Championship title
- The MLS Cup final
- The Concacaf Champions Cup final
Career Trajectory
The son of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, Sebastian made his national team debut under Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2025 and played his way onto the World Cup squad.
Berhalter was initially acquired by the Whitecaps in 2022 for a nominal fee of $50,000 in general allocation money — the smallest denomination of GAM that can be traded in MLS. Since then, he developed into one of the league’s best midfielders, a World Cup player, and soon a debutant in the Championship.
Connection to Middlesbrough
Berhalter joins fellow American midfielder Aidan Morris at Boro. Morris and Berhalter are close friends and former youth teammates from their days with the Columbus Crew.
Middlesbrough has been active around the American market, having previously signed Morris and former Charlotte FC defender Adilson Malanda. The club also had a bid rejected last year by the Crew for American wingback Max Arfsten.
What You Should Read Next: Inside the USMNT’s World Cup: BBQ bonding, squad’s shock over Balogun and exit ‘depression’ The full story of a campaign that united the nation, sparked global controversy, and ended in familiar heartache.
Source
Soccer - The AthleticWestern
Part of this Story
USMNT's Sebastian Berhalter transfers from Vancouver to Middlesbrough