Ranking the 10 most impactful signings of the 2025 MLS season 

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As we approach the New Year, now is a great opportunity to reflect on the most important things from the last year. By “most important things," of course, I mean transfers.

Today, we’re examining the absolute best of the best MLS signings from the 2025 season – and identifying the top 10. From global superstars to underrated game-changers, there’s no shortage of talent to discuss.

Before diving in, some honorable mentions: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Red Bull New York), Dejan Joveljić (Sporting Kansas City), Mark Delgado (LAFC) and Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo FC).

Onwards.

If not for a certain Argentine plying his trade down in Florida, Dreyer would have claimed this year’s Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.

The San Diego FC right winger finished second behind Lionel Messi in the media vote, player vote and total vote. Dreyer also finished right behind Messi in regular-season goal contributions, notching an impressive 38 combined goals and assists while starting all 34 games for a record-setting expansion team.

Arriving before the season began as a Designated Player from Anderlecht, Dreyer quickly established himself as a dominant force and ended up as the well-deserving Newcomer of the Year. There’s every reason to think the Danish international will frighten opposing defenders again in 2026.

If Son Heung-Min had arrived in the winter window instead of the midseason summer window, there’s little doubt in my mind that he would be leading this list.

The MLS-record signing hit the ground running (and then some) with LAFC after joining from Tottenham Hotspur. In just 10 regular-season games for LAFC, Son notched a staggering nine goals and three assists. Among players with at least 500 minutes in the regular season, only Messi topped Son’s expected goal plus expected assist numbers on a per-90-minute basis, as per FBref. Son's partnership with Denis Bouanga was lethal.

Toss in three Audi MLS Cup Playoffs goals, including that wonder-strike of a free kick to equalize at Vancouver, and you have a debut campaign to remember.

The center of the most expensive cash trade deal yet, Evander enjoyed the best season of his career during his first campaign with FC Cincinnati. He boasted 33 goal contributions, made up of 18 non-penalty goals and 15 assists, while pulling the strings as Pat Noonan’s No. 10.

It’s a credit to Cincy's front office that they leapt on the opportunity to acquire Evander from the Portland Timbers. It’s also, of course, a credit to the club’s ownership that they spent the money necessary to sign the Brazilian playmaker.

There’s little doubt that Evander served as the primary driver for another highly successful season in Cincy, and he doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.

A top-three finisher in this year’s Newcomer of the Year award behind only Dreyer and Son, Zinckernagel was a revelation for Chicago Fire FC after arriving from Club Brugge in January.

The 30-year-old quickly became the most feared member of Gregg Berhalter’s attacking group, picking apart opposing defenses from his narrow right wing position. With 15 non-penalty goals and 15 assists, no Chicago player came close to his level of multi-faceted production in the final third.

Few players around MLS, for that matter, matched Zinckernagel’s overall production: only four players collected more goal contributions during this past season.

He’s Philip Zinckernagel, dude.

cc: @tombogert 🫡 #cf97 pic.twitter.com/TCNWvTUcIx

— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) June 29, 2025

Upon his arrival in Vancouver, Müller didn’t waste any time changing games.

In his first seven starts for the Whitecaps, the Bayern Munich legend put up eight goals and three assists, immediately becoming the focal point for a surging Vancouver squad. Of course, nagging injury issues after a long season in Germany hampered Müller during the Whitecaps’ playoff run. Still, his arrival helped catapult Vancouver to their first MLS Cup presented by Audi, where they played a tight game in a losing effort against Inter Miami CF.

Returning as a Designated Player next season, it’s safe to expect more big things from Müller.

Signed from Danish sister club FC Nordsjælland ahead of San Diego's expansion season, Tverskov quickly showed his status as the first-year outfit’s linchpin.

The MLS All-Star started 33 games as Mikey Varas’ No. 6 and provided a mixture of experience (thanks to his 4,000 minutes in a similar possession system at Nordsjælland) and on-ball quality. Among defensive midfielders in MLS this past season, only one of the sport’s greatest all-time players (Sergio Busquets) posted more primary assists than Tverskov’s seven in regular-season play.

Already signed to a contract extension, Tverskov provided best-in-class midfield play all year long.

Our Captain defending our team since the beginning... pic.twitter.com/heQrLNLyNw

— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) October 24, 2025

A familiar name to MLS fans after his two stints with D.C. United and his brief stop with LAFC, Nájar’s return featured perhaps his most impactful campaign yet.

Signed from CD Olimpia in Honduras’ top flight back in January, Nájar fit perfectly into B.J. Callaghan’s 4-2-2-2 setup in Nashville, all while putting up elite attacking contributions for an outside back. Without much width in the attack in midfield and up top, Nájar had freedom to push up the right wing and influence the game in the final third – and he did exactly that.

No right back posted more goal contributions (12) than the Honduran in 2025. Few, if any, MLS players brought more for their buck than Nájar this year.

Before the playoffs, Allende was already changing games for Inter Miami. He had 11 goals in the regular season, showing off his quickness and savvy off-ball movement to get on the end of through balls from Messi and to latch onto headers inside the box.

In the postseason, though, Allende took things to another level.

The Argentine posted nine goals en route to winning MLS Cup, good for the most scored by a single player in a single postseason in league history. Few first-year signings made a larger impact than Allende, and now Miami are in talks to extend his stay following a season-long loan from LaLiga's Celta de Vigo.

Signed as Facundo Torres’ replacement on the right wing, Pašalić scored some of the most delightful goals of any player in 2025.

Thanks to his highly skilled left foot, the Croatian international regularly posed a threat by cutting inside from the wing and curling the ball to the far post. Now in the prime of his career at age 25, Pašalić truly hit his stride this past year, playing the most minutes of any season of his career while tallying the most total first-team goal contributions and the most on a per-90-minute basis.

Can Pašalić and Martín Ojeda find another level for Orlando in 2026? Opposing defenses beware.

Average @MLS goal 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/BMnJMAkkK8

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) March 23, 2025

Signed on loan from Atlético Madrid, De Paul linked up with Messi to help supercharge Inter Miami ahead of the season’s stretch run.

De Paul, who immediately slotted into Javier Mascherano’s starting lineup, played a bit as a right-sided midfielder before slotting in as a No. 8 in a 4-3-3. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner with Argentina thrived in that role, going so far as to score the game-winning goal against Vancouver in MLS Cup.

The rich got richer upon De Paul’s arrival in Florida – and the trophy cabinet got heavier.

Messi --> De Paul

That Argentine connection always delivers in the biggest moments. 🇦🇷@InterMiamiCF // MLS Cup pres. by Audi pic.twitter.com/AC90SmP1MF

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 6, 2025

• Voices: Joseph Lowery
• Anders Dreyer
• Son Heung-Min
• Evander
• Philip Zinckernagel
• Thomas Müller
• Jeppe Tverskov
• Andy Najar
• Tadeo Allende
• Marco Pašalić
• Rodrigo De Paul

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