The Vancouver Whitecaps have finally made a signing. It’s been 84 years!
On Friday morning, the club announced they have signed Canadian forward Jayden Nelson from Rosenborg BK in Norway. The 22-year-old has signed a contract that runs from 2028 with an option for 2029.
“I’m happy to be back in Canada and grateful for the opportunity that Vancouver has given to me,” added Nelson in the press release. “I have a lot to prove to not only the fans but to myself and I can’t wait to give my all for this club.”
“We are very familiar with Jayden’s qualities, as he was always a threat when we played him,” said Whitecaps sporting director and CEO Axel Schuster. “He is a young and dynamic attacking player with a mix of experience, as well as a potential for growth. We’re excited to welcome Jayden to Vancouver and help him continue to take the next step from where he was one year ago.”
Nelson’s background
Nelson is primarily a winger (but can also play in the midfield) and a former Toronto FC academy product and he broke through to the first team in 2020. He made 50 appearances for Toronto for three seasons and helped them win the Canadian Championship in 2020.
In 2023, the Brampton native transferred to Rosenborg. With the Norwegian club, Nelson made 44 appearances and managed to score eight goals and tally nine assists.
Since August of 2024, Nelson has been on loan with SSV Ulm of the Bundesliga 2. There he has only made six appearances and only one of those was a start. He had no goal contributions.
Nelson has five caps for the Canadian men’s national team and has scored two goals.
What does Nelson Bring to the Whitecaps?
First and foremost, Nelson is a depth signing. However, at just 22, there is still potential.
As you can see from this highlight package (small sample size, yes) from last season at Rosenborg, Nelson is a shifty and technical player. He has some good pace, is good at winning duels and can create scoring chances. The problem is the chances he creates for himself and his teammates often don’t go into the net.
This is a player that is likely a replacement for Ryan Raposo. However, the Whitecaps confirmed to The Third Sub that the door isn’t closed on him. Raposo also commented on Twitter on Friday afternoon in response to speculation on his future, which made things even more interesting.
But back to Nelson. It seems he and Raposo have similar qualities, except Nelson has more pace.
His goals and assists per 90 (courtesy of FootyStats.Com) display average to below-average offensive output. His goals and assists per 90 being at 0 this season for SSV Ulm and in 2020 for Toronto FC display not enough game time was given to him for them to put out the data.

Here are his underlying numbers from his last season in Toronto courtesy of Football Reference. It all pretty much sums him up.

Does he help the Whitecaps? How does he fit in?
New Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen isn’t set on a preferred formation as of this writing.
However, it seems he used a 4-3-3/4-3-2-1 in Vancouver’s preseason friendly against Polish side Raków Częstochowa. The Whitecaps lost 3-2. So given this information, Nelson could slot in as a winger (usually plays left wing) or as one of the 10s behind the striker.
Is this a signing that moves the needle for the Whitecaps? That’s an easy no. Nelson is depth, as mentioned above. However, his potential makes him an interesting one.
Playing with seasoned players such as Ryan Gauld, Brian White and Stuart Armstrong could benefit Nelson. They could help unlock the offence he has been lacking. Whether that is off the bench or the occasional start, the Whitecaps are not taking a massive bet on Nelson. But they are hoping the low risk turns into a high reward.
Vancouver needs one attacker who is starting quality and two more depth players. One more in attack and another defender wouldn’t hurt.
For Nelson, he’s a signing that doesn’t wow anyone but depth is nice to have. However, he is given the opportunity to wow in Vancouver and unlock his potential.