Winners and losers of the MLS transfer window: LA Galaxy and LAFC take a tumble, Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati play their cards right, RSL make play to save season

The perfect window. Zaha has emphatically lifted Charlotte to a new level, while giving them star power on and off the pitch. The Ivory Coast international might not have had the flashiest of starts in terms of goal-contributions - two goals in seven matches - but his influence on CLT FC has not gone unnoticed.

In addition to the 32-year-old ex-Crystal Palace star, Charlotte re-signed attacker Pep Biel on loan from Greek powerhouse Olympiacos after he made 11 appearances for them last season. In 2025, the Spaniard has turned over a new leaf, and leads the team in goal-contributions - three goals and six assists in nine appearance.

Not only did Smith and Charlotte revamp their attack, they also bolstered their defense, bringing in a left back in Souleyman Doumbia - an area in which they desperately needed depth, with U.S. international Tim Ream their only real option on that flank.

Perhaps the quietest, yet smartest, move they made was the acquisition of Eryk Williamson from the Portland Timbers. An MLS veteran, Williamson is a top midfielder who has struggled with injuries in recent years. But if Smith can unlock his best, there's no telling to how good he could become in the midfield. A savvy player, with high upside.

All in all, a great window from Charlotte, and one that immediately makes them contenders for the top of the Eastern Conference.

After losing Riqui Puig to an ACL tear in the MLS Cup playoffs last year, LA also lost a pair of midfielders to transfers in Mark Delgado and Gaston Brugman. They also traded away defender Jalen Neal, and star striker Dejan Joveljic to Sporting Kansas City for $4M.

Four key players who were all impactful during the 2024 season all left.

They replaced Joveljic with MLS veteran Christian Ramirez, whom they acquired from the Columbus Crew - which, all-in-all, was a great, inexpensive move. However, Ramirez is not the kind of player to lead a team across 30-plus matches. He needs another option to take minutes off of his legs - and LA didn't give him that. They brought in a U22 initiative attacker on loan from Botafogo in Matheus Nascimento, but he's featured in just five matches, all cameos off the bench.

No Puig replacement - even on a short-term deal - was brought in, though they did add 22-year-old USL standout Elijah Wynder to their ranks. However, he's no Puig - or even Delgado.

LA failed to replace what they lost. Period. Ramirez is a great secondary MLS striker, and Wynder has plenty of potential, but the reigning champions simply did not address their glaring needs. Winless to start the season and off to the worst start by a reigning champion in the league's 30-year history?

Just not good enough.

One name, one word, one player: Evander.

He's been remarkable, perhaps second only to Lionel Messi in terms of attacking talent in MLS. Utilizing the Cash for Players mechanism, Cincy brought him in from the Portland Timbers for $12M after star midfielder Lucho Acosta requested a trade and landed at FC Dallas. He already has six goals and one assist in seven appearances, including goals from set pieces and both his left and right boot. He's been the perfect fit in the attack to replace Acosta, elevating those around him.

Cincy also splashed a whopping $16.2M for Togolese striker Kevin Denkey, breaking their transfer record to lure him. He has four goals in eight appearances to begin his run in MLS.

The club also exercised a purchase option on Luca Orellano, who had a breakout 2024 season and emerged as one of the league's top performers last campaign. The Argentine has excelled in MLS, and securing his services was a crucial move from the Eastern Conference side.

With injuries to both Miles Robinson and Matt Miazga to begin the season, the acquisition of Gilberto Flores - who Cincy signed on January 31 - has been critical, too. The central defender has started six matches, playing fantastic defense. Cincy hit on all three major acquisitions, and they're second in the East.

A near-perfect window.

It's hard to call LAFC a loser for the window, but in all reality, they've fallen short of expectations. They lost both Mateusz Bogusz and Cristian Olivera to transfers, and failed to secure top replacements. Bogusz, who scored 15 goals and recorded six assists in 2024, departed for $10M to Cruz Azul, while Olivera made his way to Gremio.

MLS veteran Jeremy Ebobisse was brought in as a free agent, but he's nowhere near to a Bogusz replacement - he's been a second or third-string striker on most days. Their big move was bringing in Turkey international Cengiz Under on loan for six months from Fenerbahce on a DP deal, but early return? The 27-year-old has just one goal in six appearances.

They made a move for LA Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado, a smart and inexpensive transfer, but he's struggled to adapt, and doesn't quite fit Steve Cherundolo's system either. MLS veteran Yaw Yeboah, who was a 2023 star with the Columbus Crew en-route to their championship, was added through free agency, but has barely seen the pitch with just three starts.

It's just been a confusing window. They never replaced Bogusz up top - though, maybe they expected Olivier Giroud to adapt quicker to the league - and the Bogusz signing felt rushed. In previous seasons, LAFC have been careful and smart in windows - whether that's the signing of Gareth Bale, or bringing in a player such as Eduard Atuesta on loan.

This time around, though, it was incomplete. Time will determine whether their choices pan out, but as it stands, LAFC had a poor window - and their start to the MLS season is a representation of that.

Calling RSL a winner might be kind, but in the closing hours, they made the moves to allow them to compete until the summer transfer window re-opens - that's winning. The club needed a replacement for striker Chicho Arango, who was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes in the offseason. It took them nearly four months to figure out who it was, but they finally landed him.

Reports surfaced this week that the club were in talks Portuguese side Boavista over the transfer of what would be a DP striker - Robert Bozenik, a Slovakia international. According to GIVEMESPORT, the forward passed a medical on Tuesday and toured the facilities on Wednesday - only to back out last minute due to a change in terms.

While in talks with Bozenik, though, RSL made an ambitious play for Sporting Kansas City striker Willy Agada - and got the deal over the line Wednesday night for a fee of up to $850K in General Allocation Money. RSL were in desperate need of a goalscoring striker, and Agada - who scored 12 in MLS last year - is a sufficient enough forward to carry them until the secondary window opens.

It's not an ideal situation, but the club had a clear hole in the roster, and they addressed it for the short term, at least. On paper, it elevates them from a fringe playoff team to a top-5 team in the West contender. They gave Diego Luna a much-needed No. 9, and if things click, it could be brilliant.

Dating back to 2014, CF Montreal (formerly the Montreal impact) have spent a meager $50,000 on transfer fees for Designated Players. Comparatively, just since summer 2024, Atlanta United have spent $44M on three DPs.

The Canadian side sit 29th in the table, without a head coach, and have scored just four goals in nine matches. They are nowhere near competitive, and the ambition shown in the transfer market by their front office over the past few months is the reason.

They made a savvy play to bring in Jalen Neal from the LA Galaxy in early January, smart business. A U.S. youth international, part of the LA Galaxy's 2024 MLS Cup triumph, it was a great move on paper. Yet he's played just five minutes this season, struggled with injury and has not made any sort of impact.

They also brought in Giacomo Vrioni as a Designated Player from the New England Revolution, but he's also been injured and just made his debut for the club on Matchday 9, off the bench. Their lone high-profile move came with the acquisition of U22 player Hennadii Synchuk on a contract through 2028, with the 18-year-old committing his future to the club. Yet, as with like Neal and Vrioni, he has barely played, with just two appearances this season.

Banking your campaign on a DP which New England allowed to leave for $50K, while your lone big play in the transfer market was for an 18-year-old? Oh, and then you fire your coach five games into the season? The Canadian side are a mess.