Transfers

The Philadelphia Union agreed to transfer homegrown midfielder Paxten Aaronson on Thursday to German side Eintracht Frankfurt of Bundesliga for a multimillion-dollar transfer fee.

The Union will also retain a percentage of any future transfer fees for Aaronson, who will join Frankfurt in January.

Paxten Aaronson has completed his transfer from the Philadelphia Union to Eintracht Frankfurt. The deal is worth $4m + add-ons + a big sell-on%. No loan back.

Philadelphia Union’s homegrown talent Paxten Aaronson will have one game left with the club, the MLS Cup Final, before he heads to Europe to join Eintracht Frankfurt in January.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder will join the Bundesliga club on a deal reportedly worth around $4 million. MLSSoccer.com’s Tom Bogert was the first to break the news.

America's most promising goalkeeping prospect is officially heading abroad, as Gabriel Slonina is set to begin a 13-day training spell with Chelsea.

The youngest signing in Chicago Fire history and the youngest starting keeper in MLS history, Slonina became Chicago's most expensive player ever on Aug. 2 when he joined Chelsea for a $15 million fee. The keeper was then loaned back to the Fire for the remainder of the MLS season.

There was a time, with his contract willfully running down last season, when it looked like a Kylian Mbappé Real Madrid transfer was a foregone conclusion. The World Cup winner had already accomplished everything imaginable in French football at the age of 23 (five league titles, five cup triumphs and three Player of the Year awards), and the realization of Mbappé's childhood dream of playing at the Santiago Bernabéu was promised by Florentino Pérez himself.

The New York Red Bulls announced a new four-year contract for defender John Tolkin on Wednesday.

The deal runs through the 2027 season and includes an option for 2028.

"We are very excited to sign John to a new contract and keep him with the club," NYRB head of sport Jochen Schneider said in a news release. "He had a very successful season, and we are pleased to have him on our team for years to come."

INKED ✍️

The business end of the MLS season is upon us, and with the MLS playoffs kicking off in just under a month, every game matters. Only six sides have officially been eliminated from playoff contention going into the international break and the race for the Supporter’s Shield is very much alive. Following Match Week 32, let’s break down what every team is playing for from here on out.

MLS Playoffs Picture Going into Matchweek 33

Eastern Conference

1. Philadelphia Union: 64 Points

Remaining Opponents: Charlotte FC, Toronto FC

Amid reported interest from Man City, Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool, Barcelona has secured the services of football's most highly regarded midfield talent through 2026 after 18-year-old Gavi put pen to paper on a new three-year deal that sees his release clause rise to $1 billion.