It’s been a busy start to the summer transfer window for the Columbus Crew, even though the window hasn’t even opened yet.
The Black & Gold last played on May 24, ahead of the World Cup break. With no Major League Soccer games until July 22, general manager Issa Tall and Columbus’ front office have been busy, looking to “strengthen” and “freshen” a roster that has been among the league’s best over the last few years but did not start the season well under first-year head coach Henrick Rydström, who was relieved of his duties after just five and a half months.
“Freshen” or “refresh” were terms often used when Massive Report spoke to club sources about this window. Although the Crew began the year 3-7-4, firing Rydström and appointing Laurent Courtois as interim head coach, there remains a strong belief within the organization that the Black & Gold can bounce back in the second half of the season.
Columbus looked noticeably more like the team that won an MLS Cup, a Leagues Cup, and reached a CONCACAF Champions Cup Final under Wilfried Nancy, following Courtois’s takeover of the group. The sample size is small, but Courtois went 2-0 before the World Cup break, defeating New York City FC 1-0 to reach the U.S. Open Cup semifinal and handling struggling Atlanta United 2-0. In those games, the Crew reverted to the 3-4-2-1 formation that had worked so well since 2023 under Nancy and, more importantly, played with the freedom and enjoyment that were clearly missing during Rydström’s short time with the club.
“What those two games or that week highlighted was – and it’s hard to explain because you can’t put it on paper and in words – is we have a strong culture at our club,” Tall told Massive Report last month. “Very strong in the way we operate and in the way we play. And that week, those two games really felt like it was the Crew. You could feel even the atmosphere (in the stadium) and you saw the players and the attitude. It felt like the Crew. Again, what is it? It’s hard to say. But you could tell that we got our mojo back in a way.”
Since the game against Atlanta, the Black & Gold have made several roster moves.
In June, Columbus sent defender Yevhen Cheberko to LAFC for a 2026 international roster spot. After playing in just three games this season, Cheberko’s contract was set to expire in the summer, and the Crew was willing to let him depart for free before LAFC entered the picture, allowing the Black & Gold to receive an asset in return. Columbus also signed former Atlanta defender Brooks Lennon as a free agent, a move that brings 266 MLS games, including the playoffs, to the club. While Lennon has battled injuries recently, the Crew believe he is “good to go” after medical testing and can add depth at wing back, bringing “something different” to the position.
Defender Andrés Herrera, already on the roster, was signed permanently after spending the past two years on loan from River Plate. Sources within the club considered the move important, given that Herrera has made 43 appearances and 29 starts for Columbus, and that Tall negotiated a lower fee than the reported asking price.
The headline-grabbing news occurred in late June and early July.
Perhaps no transfer was bigger than the decision to allow forward Diego Rossi to depart for CF Monterrey in Liga MX. Since star striker Cucho Hernandez left ahead of the 2025 season, Rossi has been the focal point of the Black & Gold offense, scoring 22 goals and adding seven assists, including leading the team with six goals this season.
It came as a shock to many Columbus supporters that Tall would move Rossi midseason, similar to general manager Tim Bezbatchenko’s decision to transfer Lucas Zelarayan during the 2023 season. As with the Zelarayan situation, there was a method to the madness.
Rossi expressed interest in leaving the club last season for potential “life-changing” money, but given his importance to the club’s attack and the timing of the offer, the deal did not make sense then. However, these discussions indicated that Rossi would like to move on if the right situation presented itself.
While the Crew had a club option on Rossi for the 2027 season, the upcoming change in MLS’s schedule – moving to a fall-to-spring schedule – made exercising the option and extending Rossi through the end of next year less sensible. This is a challenge all MLS clubs face, as many players’ contracts expire near the end of the calendar year, which would be midseason in future seasons. Tall spoke with Rossi and his representatives about a new contract that would extend the player’s stay in Columbus and align Rossi with the new calendar.
Ultimately, after the Crew received the offer from Monterrey, it was determined that this move was the best for everyone involved. The Black & Gold received an $8 million transfer fee from the La Liga side, giving the club nearly a $3 million profit on the 28-year-old forward and opening a second Designated Player spot after forward Wessam Abou Ali was placed on the season-ending injury list. This allowed the club to bring in new, perhaps better, options across the attack.
Having scored just 21 goals in 16 games this season, Tall knew Columbus needed to strengthen its attack even before Rossi’s departure. The Crew began to do so by agreeing to a one-year loan with Argentinos Juniors for attacking midfielder Lautaro Giaccone, with an option to buy. The Black & Gold then signed attacker Brais Méndez from Real Sociedad to a Designated Player contract for just over $6 million.
While neither player was a prolific goalscorer at their previous club, they both performed at a high level in leagues more demanding than MLS. Like Zelarayan and Hernandez before them, both players are expected to surprise those who rely solely on statistics to evaluate these additions.
“Brais is the co-veteran,” Courtois said when asked about the club’s new signings. “Left-footed, kind of a No. 10 at Sociedad and specialist of key passes. Really talented guy, but also willing to contribute in volume defensively. So the type of player that makes a play that you can’t really teach. Especially in terms of, like I said, key passes.
“(Lautaro is a) left-footed right winger or left winger that we’re going to convert on the ball as either right or left (wing back). But potentially can play front three also. Kind of explosive, hard worker and a great left foot. But also tough on the impact because he’s a tough kid. So we’re really excited for those types of players. Kind of different from what we have.”
Columbus is not done either. The Crew still have an open Designated Player spot, and sources have repeatedly told Massive Report that the club does not intend to sit on it. The expectation is that this Designated Player will be another attacker and goal-scorer to help offset the loss of Rossi and Abou Ali.
However, the club will consider the future when filling the final Designated Player spot. Because that spot was created due to Abou Ali’s injury, it is only available through the end of the season. Abou Ali and Daniel Gazdag will fill two of the three permitted Designated Player slots, assuming Gazdag remains with the club, with Méndez bringing the total to three.
This will not dissuade the Black & Gold from adding another key player this summer. While it may be more difficult, it is not impossible to get off a Designated Player contract, which the club will need to do this offseason after signing another player of this caliber.
“We’re working on this,” Tall confirmed. “We’d like to bring an attacking-minded player, especially for DP roles. And that’s based on all the analysis we’ve made. That’s where we should utilize them.”
When discussing the transfer market with Crew fans, the first position that has come up over the last two seasons is center back. With 35-year-old Rudy Camacho missing nearly all of last year, Steven Moreria on the wrong side of 30 and nearing the end of his contract with the Black & Gold and Sean Zawadzki moved from central midfield to center back, fans question why a new center back has not arrived.
The answer is complicated. Tall and the Columbus front office recognize the need for a center back, yet finding one who fits the Crew’s style of play – able to defend and comfortable on the ball with high-level passing ability – is not easy, as many top European teams also seek this type of player. Camacho was brought in to be that player in 2023 after playing in Nancy’s system with CF Montreal and was key to the Black & Gold’s run to the MLS Cup title.
If Tall could find a younger version of Camacho who made sense to acquire, the deal would have been done. However, there aren’t many such players looking to join MLS who wouldn’t command a Designated Player salary.
There is also a divide between the club and supporters over the current back line. While many Columbus fans view Camacho as the problem, Courtois is the third coach to trust him to play in a crucial spot.
“I love our fans because they obviously know the game. But I would love for them also to speak with Laurent too,” Tall told Massive Report. “Where Laurent is very happy with the groups of center backs that we have. That being said, can we bring someone different? Someone that can help us in other areas where we are not that strong. Someone that can be here should something happen to one of our current center backs. But Laurent does love our group. I do love our group. But we are aware that we need to bring someone that’s different. And look, we’re working on it.”
Recently, speculation about Max Arfsten’s future has increased. The winger/wing back has been a revelation since he was drafted by the Crew in 2023, and there has been interest from European clubs over the past year. However, reports that Arfsten is set to move to Europe following a World Cup in which he played one minute for the United States Men’s National Team are premature, sources told Massive Report.
Arfsten has expressed interest in playing abroad, and if the right offer comes in, the Black & Gold would not stand in his way of achieving those dreams. However, Tall is not going to let a player developed into a national team player by Columbus move cheaply. Massive Report understands that there is no pressure from the player to make an imminent move.
The MLS summer transfer window does not open until July 13. However, the Crew has already done much of its work early. The Black & Gold have refreshed an attack that has not hit on all cylinders since Abou Ali’s injury. They’ve acquired assets by moving on from players while also locking up a versatile defender.
Columbus is not done. With a Designated Player spot open and resources available, the “refresh” continues as the Crew aims to remain a contender in MLS.
MASSIVE REPORT 