Money. It's what makes the world go round. And it's why, in their first 30 years of existence, Major League Soccer teams have been able to purchase some of the biggest stars in world soccer.
Arguably, the two most influential MLS signings David Beckham and Lionel Messi both arrived on free transfers. However, there are plenty of other players who joined MLS clubs for a mouth-watering fee.
We taking a look at the 10 most lucrative transfers in MLS history.
10. Aleksei Miranchuk: $13.8m (Atalanta to Atlanta United)
Spoiler alert: six of the 12 most expensive transfers in MLS history have been Atlanta United signings, including Aleksey Miranchuk. After developing his talents at Lokomotiv Moscow, the Russian attacking midfielder spent four years in Serie A with Atalanta and Torino before making the move to Atlanta United on July 30, 2024.
Miranchuk joined Atlanta for $13.8m, according to Transfermarkt, signing a contract until the 2028 MLS season with the option for a further year. He's emerged as a crucial figure in attack and a creative outlet with 11 goals and 7 assists in his first 45 appearances.
"I think Alexey has settled in now well and shown his quality he's essential," stated Atlanta Utd commentator Jason Longshore to FourFourTwo. "It was too crowded in the areas where he thrived earlier this season, but hes been so good as of late. Hes been the best player in the attack in 2025. I like the trio with him and Steven Alzate/Bartosz Slisz behind him as a building block for 2026."
9. Brenner: $13.9m (Sao Paulo to FC Cincinnati)
After developing his skills at Sao Paulo, Brenner made the move to FC Cincinnati for a reported $13.9m, joining the club as a young Designated Player. Whilst he scored on his debut vs Nashville, he struggled to parlay that into consistent form in his debut season, scoring just 8 goals and 1 assist in 33 appearances.
The Brazilian striker found his footing in 2022, however, racking up 18 goals and 6 assists in 32 appearances. After growing unhappy at Cincinnati, he requested a transfer out, only to be denied his move. He remained for the entire season and helped them qualify for the playoffs for the first time before eventually getting his move.
He joined Udinese in the summer of 2023 but was unable to make his mark in Italy, scoring just twice in 19 appearances. It's why, in August 2025, Brenner was loaned back to Cincinnati with an option to buy, where he'll be looking to lead them to a deep postseason run.
8. Myrto Uzuni: $14m (Granada to Austin FC)
After bouncing around from Albania to Croatia to Hungary, Myrto Uzuni made the move to Spanish club Granada in January 2022. Unable to rescue them from relegation in his first few months, emerged as an attacking talisman and helped them return to LaLiga, racking up 49 goals and 8 assists in 106 matches.
It's why Austin FC decided to sign him for a club-record $14m in January 2025; despite leaving midway through the season, he finished as the club's top scorer in the Segunda. The 30-year-old striker struggled to get going in his first few months in Texas, but he's managed to shake off that rust and get back to his best recently.
Uzuni has scored 7 goals and 3 assists in his first 26 appearances; out of those 10 goal contributions, 7 came since the start of July, with the Albanian stepping up in Brandon Vazquez's absence and guiding them to the playoff spots.
7. Hirving Lozano: $14m (PSV to San Diego FC)
Eight months before taking to the pitch for their first-ever match, San Diego FC sent shockwaves throughout the USA by announcing the signing of Hirving Lozano for $14m. Over the past decade, Lozano had won the league title in Mexico, the Netherlands, and Italy, whilst he had also made a name for himself with the Mexican national team, writing his name into history with the winning goal vs. reigning champions Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The nimble winger kicked off his MLS journey with a trip to 2024 MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy, where Lozano set up Anders Dreyer's opening goal in the 52nd minute. Dreyer would complete his brace in extra time to secure a shock 2-0 win, with him and Lozano striking up a superb chemistry against the reigning champions of American soccer.
He hasn't looked back since then, with the 30-year-old forward helping San Diego punch above their weight and soar to the top of the Western Conference.
6. Esequiel Barco: $14.4m (Independiente to Atlanta United)
If there's one thing that Atlanta United know how to do, it's sign South American players. The Five Stripes won the 2018 MLS Cup in their second season thanks to various South American stars like Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron, and Esequiel Barco, with the latter joining from Independiente just 11 months prior for an MLS record fee of $14.4m.
Barco's opening season was marred by an act of indiscipline, where he reportedly made romantic overtures towards his teammate Brandon Vazquez's girlfriend, causing him to be suspended and dropped from the starting line-up. He never quite recovered from that and was unable to showcase his world-class potential in MLS over a consistent period.
The diminutive attacking midfielder struggled to find a consistent position in the team due to injuries, international call-ups, a pandemic and coaching turnover (six different managers in four years). He scored just 19 goals and 18 assists in 107 matches before making the move to River Plate in 2022; two years later, he joined Russian side Spartak Moscow.
5. Gonzalo Martinez: $17m (River Plate to Atlanta United)
Barco lasted just a year as the most expensive transfer in MLS history before Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez joined Atlanta United in January 2019 for $17m. However, he was unable to work under his compatriot Tata Martino, who departed the same month for the Mexican national team, and instead struggled to find his footing under Frank de Boer.
Having won the South American Footballer of the Year after leading River Plate to the Copa Libertadores, it seemed that MLS would be a walk in the park for Martinez. Instead, however, Martinez would struggle to fill Almiron's void in attack, drifting in and out of games, turning over possession with regularity, and struggling to deliver a consistent end product.
Whilst he did manage to win the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup in 2019, he never came close to justifying his price tag and translating those skills to the North American game. He departed in September 2020 and joined Saudi club Al-Nassr, spending three years there before returning to River Plate.
4. Thiago Almada: $16m (Velez Sarsfield to Atlanta United)
Unlike Martinez and Barco, Thiago Almada successfully lived up to his billing after joining Atlanta for a league-record $16 million. The Argentine attacking midfielder scored 26 goals and 24 assists in 83 appearances, winning the MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2022 and the MLS Younger Player of the Year in 2023.
He then made the move to Brazil in 2024, where in just a few months, he guided Botafogo to their first Copa Libertadores trophy as well as their first league title in 29 years. Almada then took his talents to Europe in January 2025, joining Lyon. He would last just a couple of months in France before moving to Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid.
After becoming the first active MLS player to win the World Cup in 2022, Thiago Almada is one of the many players in the mix for Argentina's 2026 World Cup squad alongside the likes of Nico Paz, Marcos Senesi, and Matias Soule. And at just 24 years of age, he's already being tipped as the long-term successor to Lionel Messi's throne.
3. Kevin Denkey, $16.2m (Cercle Brugge to FC Cincinnati)
Born in Togo, Kevin Denkey moved to France at 12 years old, staying with his uncle in Paris before moving to Lyon to live with his aunt. He developed at Nimes' academy before leaving for Belgium in 2021 and joining Cercle Brugge.
Denkey excelled at Brugge with 66 goals and 20 assists in 152 matches, earning the attention of Cincinnati, who shelled out a league-record $16.2 million for the Togolese striker in November 2024. Denkey quickly settled in Ohio, scoring in each of his first four matches.
The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals and 2 assists in 29 appearances for Cincy, elevating them to second in the East and third in the overall standings. Alongside the likes of Evander and Brenner, he looks set to play a pivotal role in attack and help Cincinnati achieve success.
2. Emmanuel Latte Lath: $22m (Middlesbrough to Atlanta United)
Denkey's record fee would last just three months before being smashed by another West African forward Emmanuel Latte Lath. Born in the Ivory Coast, Lath moved to Italy at a young age and developed at Atalanta's academy, undergoing eight different loans before joining Middlesbrough on a permanent deal in 2023.
He didn't need any time to settle in England's second tier and quickly thrived in Boro's attack, finishing as their top scorer in 2023/24 with 18 goals in all competitions. These stellar displays drew the attention of Atlanta United, who signed him for $22 million in February 2025.
Lath kicked off his time in Atlanta with five goals in his first six matches; since then, he's scored just twice in 21 matches. With a contract until December 2028, there's still ample time for him to turn it around, but it's fair to say that he hasn't quite paid off the investment thus far.
1. Heung-min Son: $26.5 (Tottenham to LAFC)
From Olivier Giroud to Hugo Lloris to Giorgio Chiellini, LAFC have already signed their fair share of superstars, and the latest to make the move to BMO Stadium is Heung-min Son.
After getting his start in professional soccer in Germany, the South Korean forward made the move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2015, where he helped them go from midtable mediocrity to challenging for silverware, eventually leading them to a first trophy in 17 years.
Having staked his claim as one of the best players in England and a club icon, Son decided to ride off into the sunset and depart Spurs in August 2025, joining LAFC for a league-record $26.5 million. He's kicked off his time in California with an assist vs. New England and a goal vs. Dallas, and he looks set to play a crucial role in the Black and Gold's postseason ambitions.
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