United States midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has transferred to English Championship side Middlesbrough from the Vancouver Whitecaps for an undisclosed fee, both clubs announced Tuesday. Vancouver will retain a percentage of any future transfer fee for Berhalter, whose contract was set to expire at the end of 2026. "This is where I want to be," Berhalter said in a Middlesbrough statement.
"I want to keep getting better as a player and person, and this is a great place to do it." The 25-year-old featured in all five U.S. games at the recent FIFA World Cup, registering a goal and an assist in his lone start against Türkiye. At Middlesbrough, Berhalter reunites with former Columbus Crew and USA teammate Aidan Morris. "I've been watching the club closely over the last two years because of Aidan, and I kind of fell in love with the club, especially over the last year with the way they play and the way they fight," Berhalter added.
Berhalter, the son of former USA head coach and player Gregg Berhalter, joined Vancouver in February 2022 from Columbus, recording 20 goals and 34 assists across 167 appearances. He was named to last year's MLS Best XI as Vancouver reached the MLS Cup final. Middlesbrough missed out on Premier League promotion after losing to Hull City in May's Championship playoff final.
