FC Cincinnati Add Brenner in $ 13 Million Landmark Deal

In a winter where movements have been constrained by the financial constraints caused by COVID-19, which is a contract of significant quotas, FC Cincinnati has signed a Brazilian Brenner. The 21-year-old will join the Major League Soccer club in a $ 15 million move.

according to Transfermarkt, FC Cincinnati will now pay $ 13 million for striker FC São Paulo. Brazilian side Série A could earn another $ 2 million through performance-based additions. São Paulo will also participate in any future moves as they retain 20% of the player’s rights.

Once all these add-ons are accomplished, Brenner is going to be the most expensive player to join MLS from South America. Pity Martínez currently holds that record; The Argentine joined Atlanta United in a $ 15.95 million deal in 2019.

In a global context, it is also a contravention of the movement. This winter, clubs have only spent € 20 million ($ 22m) or more five times—compared to last year, European clubs paid € 20 million or more 17 times. There were about 1700 transactions on Date Day, and the total number of taxes paid was just over $ 30 million.

Despite the COVID-19 credit crunch, MLS is looking to counter the move. On Friday, the league agreed to a new CBA with the MLS Player Association. That new contract will run until 2027 and is a direct response to the pandemic, with the league calling for long – term security at a time when fans are not allowed inside stadiums.

On the surface, the league’s CBA negotiations were a response to the industry’s credit crunch. But at the same time, many club owners in the league are now willing to open their wallets to sign off on overseas talent.

FC Cincinnati is one great example. The club joined MLS in 2019 and has struggled both seasons in major U.S. flights. Part of the problem was a lack of consumption. The club never spent more than $ 2 million before joining Brenner on Friday. But it now appears that Brenner is just getting started with the club also trying to add Atlanta star Pity Martínez.

Brenner and FC Cincinnati are, of course, just part of an overall move. A series of signs are now expected that the CBA has made many previously cautious clubs, such as the Vancouver Whitecaps, expect to spend heavily this offseason.

But what about Brenner? What can the striker contribute to a club that has a successful fan base? First and foremost. The 21-year-old has scored 17 goals in 33 games across all competitions in the ongoing Brazilian 2020 season.

Comparing players across leagues is always difficult, but looking at the stats Brenner looks favorable compared to last year’s top MLS recipients – Diego Rossi, Gyasi Zardes, Raúl Ruidíaz, Robert Berić, and Jordan Morris.

Of the six, Brenner runs just behind Rossi at LAFC with 0.59 goals every 90 minutes in 2020 (all stats from Wyscout). Brenner leads the group with a pass completion rate of 87.29%. Only Ruidíaz comes close to a pass completion rate of 86.65%. What also stands out is that Brenner has the lowest touchdown in the box (3.45 per 90 minutes) of the six players by comparison – Morris had the majority with 5.68 rubs.

With an xG of 19.49, Brenner is far ahead of the group of top MLS scorers he compares to – Rossi led that statistic with 16.58 in MLS last season. But even more surprisingly, Brenner surpassed that stat by scoring 21 goals in 2020 in total.

It remains to be seen how these numbers will translate into MLS. While Brazil may still be slightly ahead of MLS in terms of competitiveness, North America’s premier flights come with its own challenges in terms of travel, climate disparities, and an intense schedule. But even with all that in mind, there is no doubt that Cincinnati has landed a star in Brenner, which could transform the perception of the league as a whole and be a signal for things to happen. come on the move market this winter.

Manuel Veth is the editor-in-chief of the Futbolgrad Network and U.S. Area Manager at Transfermarkt. It was also published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other places. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth