Transfer season is always dramatic and exciting and Canada MNT players are no exception.
After years of speculation, Jonathan David finally got his big move and signed for Juventus. Nathan Saliba has left CF Montreal to join Belgian giants Anderlecht and it also looks like Mathieu Choinière is leaving Grasshopper less than a year after leaving Montreal. He is reportedly closing in on returning to MLS and signing with LAFC, according to Paul Tenorio of The Athletic.
But it is still only the middle of summer and the European transfer window closes on September 3rd. Plus, clubs are still looking for players to sign ahead of preseason.
More Canada MNT players could be on the move. Let’s take a look at five that could leave their current clubs before September 3rd.
#1: Tajon Buchanan
Buchanan was a bright spot in Canada’s Gold Cup campaign. The 26-year-old had three goals in four games.
At the club level, Buchanan hasn’t played much for Inter Milan. Since coming back from his broken tibia injury sustained at the 2024 Copa America, he made six appearances off the bench with Inter. Buchanan only played 95 minutes.
As a result, he was sent out on loan to La Liga’s Villarreal. There, he started four out of 13 matches and scored one goal and tallied two assists. His only goal secured Champions League for Villarreal and it was against eventual La Liga winners FC Barcelona.
It seems Buchanan is going to stick around at Inter Milan as the option to buy on his loan to Villarreal was not exercised. Two weeks ago, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported that newly promoted Serie A club Sassuolo. The reported offer includes an eight million Euro fee plus a sell-on clause and buy-back clause.
However, it has been radio silence on the Buchanan front since then. But last Friday, talks between Inter and Sassuolo reopened according to SportItalia’s Alfredo Pedulla.
We’ll see if the talks with Sassuolo progress or if Buchanan ends up signing elsewhere, because he needs consistent minutes as he is important for the Canada MNT.
#2: Cyle Larin
Things haven’t gone well for Cyle Larin for the past year or so.
He hasn’t scored for Canada since October of 2024. That was in a friendly against Panama in a 2-1 Canada win.
For his club Mallorca, he scored seven goals and managed two assists in 32 games. (21 starts) However, he is looking to leave and Mallorca’s management also agrees that he should leave, according to Marca. Marca also reports that Larin has failed to adapt to Mallorca since he signed there from Club Brugge in the summer of 2023.
Larin needs a change of scenery to get his form back on track. But where? At the time of this writing, there are no links to Larin and he is reportedly going to rejoin Mallorca for their preseason in Austria.
Perhaps a return to Belgium or Turkey? Or maybe a mid to lower tier team in the English Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A or Bundesliga? A return to MLS might also be an option for Larin. He was drafted by Orlando City SC first overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft after attending the University of Connecticut.
In Orlando, Larin was named the 2015 MLS Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2016. He scored 47 goals in 87 appearances with Orlando before he headed to Turkey to play with Besiktas.
MLS would be a good destination for him. Larin is 30 and maybe his time in Europe is done. Returning to MLS could bring familiarity and a chance to get back to his best. Whether Larin goes to MLS or somewhere else, getting back to his best needs to happen.
#3: Niko Sigur
Niko Sigur has been rising in the Canada MNT setup. Since switching allegiances from Croatia to Canada, he has been capped seven times and has looked decent. Sigur even scored his first goal for Canada in their first game of the Gold Cup. He opened the scoring in a 6-0 win at BC Place in Vancouver, a SkyTrain ride away from Sigur’s hometown of Burnaby.
Sigur has done well with his club, Hajduk Split. He made 17 starts in 28 league appearances and scored three goals and an assist.
Sigur has been linked to Serie A side Atalanta according to Croatian outlet Index.Hr via Transferfeed. Atalanta has been a rising club in Italy. Before 2018-19, they had mostly finished in the middle or bottom half of Serie A and got relegated to Serie B after the 2009-10 season. Since 2018-19, they have finished in the top five of Serie A every year since 2021-22.
For Sigur, this is a chance for him to leave Hajduk Split after three years and elevate his game. Whether he leaves for Atalanta or elsewhere remains to be seen. If he goes to Atalanta, there is Champions League for him to play in, stronger competition, but he might not get a ton of minutes.
But the right-back/holding midfielder is ready for the challenge.
“Yeah, I’m open to it, honestly. I think it’s more down to what the club wants. I have a contract (with Hajduk) until 2028,” said Sigur to the media in June per OneSoccer. “There’s been a little bit of communication but I think it was clear that when I come back from the Gold Cup, we’re going to kind of come to a decision and obviously there needs to be concrete offers and offers that make sense for me to go. With the World Cup coming up, I want to be playing. I’ve been with Hajduk three years now. If something comes up, then of course, I’m ready. But it has to make sense.”
#4: Ismael Koné
There was a lot of hype among Canadian fans when Derek Cornelius and Ismael Koné joined Olympique Marseille, one of the biggest clubs in France.
While the move has gone well for Cornelius, it hasn’t for Koné. He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 season with an ankle injury and it looked like he did not have a good relationship with Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi. He only made eight appearances, which included three starts under De Zerbi. In January, he was shipped out on loan to fellow Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.
With Rennes, he made 13 appearances, which included four starts. Koné even managed to score two goals and add an assist. But now he is back with Marseille.
The 23-year-old’s representative Nick Mavromaras told TSN’s Matthew Scianitti that it is only a matter of time before he leaves Marseille. Whether Koné leaves on a permanent transfer or loan is to be determined.
According to TSN, De Zerbi was not happy with Koné ‘s professionalism and called him out during press conferences. Koné nearly got physical with De Zerbi as seen in a clip from Marseille’s documentary series posted to X.
Koné is a key part of Canada’s midfield depth and with the World Cup less than a year away, he needs to play more. It seems he isn’t the right fit culturally and tactically at Marseille and he needs to see greener pastures.
But where? According to Scianitti’s article, there have been links to AS Roma for Koné. Other than that, it has been quiet on Koné’s front, but it is a story that will continue to develop as the summer goes on.
#5: Luc de Fougerolles
Luc de Fougerolles is another rising young Canadian talent. The 19-year-old defender already has seven caps for the Canada MNT, including at the 2024 Copa America and this year’s CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup. His calm, composed defending and breakout passes have caught the eyes of Canadian soccer fans.
At the club level, de Fougerolles has yet to make an appearance for Fulham’s first team. He played this past season with their second team. The fact that he can start games for Canada while playing for Fulham 2 is a display of his talent and potential.
De Fougerolles is seeking to be part of the squad for next year’s World Cup. He needs consistent playing time for him to be even considered.
De Fougerolles signed a four-year deal with Fulham last week. They clearly see him as part of their future. However, de Fougerolles is unlikely to get minutes with them next season. As a result, he can go out on loan.
An English Championship side or League One side could use his services. But what about going abroad? Or rather, to the land of his roots.
He grew up in London and has been with Fulham’s academy since he was eight. De Fougerolles’ mother is Iranian Anglo-born, but his father is Canadian. A Canadian team did offer him a contract before he signed his extension with Fulham.
While the Canada MNT was in Vancouver for the Gold Cup game in Honduras, the Vancouver Whitecaps offered him a contract, according to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic. But the door is still open for de Fougerolles to come to Vancouver on loan. The Whitecaps have been hit hard by the injury bug despite their solid season. Left-back and Canadian international Sam Adekugbe is out for the season with an Achilles injury and centre-back Ranko Veselinovic is also done for the year with an ACL tear.
De Fougerolles could fill Adekugbe and Veselinovic’s spots as he can play as a centre-back and full-back. The Whitecaps would get a young, but solid reinforcement for their Supporters Shield and MLS Cup quest and de Fougerolles could learn and develop and gain a ton of playing time.
It remains to be seen where de Fougerolles goes out on loan.
As time ticks away to the 2026 World Cup, it is crunch time for Canada MNT players. This summer window could potentially define Canada’s run-up to the tournament.
