Brenner joins Udinese in July - Cincinnati star among 10 most expensive MLS transfers

The Brenner transfer saga has finally come to an end. On Wednesday, FC Cincinnati announced that they have sold the 23-year-old Brazilian striker to the Italian club Udinese Calcio. Transfermarkt understands that Cincinnati will receive €10 million ($11m) for the Brazilian plus a sell-on and future incentives. It is a record fee for Cincinnati and one of the ten most expensive outgoing transfers in Major League Soccer history. Brenner will also remain with FC Cincy until July 1, when the summer transfer window opens in Serie A. 

 

"We're extremely happy for Brenner that he's able to make this move and play in one of the biggest leagues in Europe," FC Cincinnati General Manager Chris Albright said in a club statement. "Our ultimate goal at FC Cincinnati is to win games for our incredible fans, and we understand that developing players is central to attracting the best talent. This is a significant transfer for our club and is a testament to everything our staff has done in the past year and a half. Our ownership will continue to give us the resources to compete, and this transfer only adds to that commitment."

On the surface, Cincinnati will have lost out on this deal as Brenner was initially signed for a club record $13m (€11.82m) from Brazilian club São Paulo. But after a slow start to his MLS career, Brenner initially looked like a flop and a major money-losing venture when his market value dropped from €9m to €7m last season. The striker then turned his career last year, scoring 18 goals and six assists in 29 regular season games, increasing his market value to €8m making him one of the most valuable players in the league. 

Brenner to Udinese - Cincinnati could make a profit eventually 

Furthermore, Brenner formed a deadly partnership with Brandon Vazquez, who also increased his market value to €7m and already has serious interest from European clubs. With that in mind, Cincinnati were happy to take the €10m offered by Udinese, especially as the Brazilian could earn further money for the MLS club should he perform in Serie A.

 

Selling Brenner now will give Cincinnati time until the summer to find a replacement. Finally, the transfer might also have implications for Vazquez's future. The US men's national team striker was linked to Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach earlier in the spring but Cincinnati will require a significant fee to part ways with both their top strikers in the same window.