Soccer: Middlesbrough land USMNT full-back Arfsten from Columbus

Columbus cashes in on an All-Star

Middlesbrough got their man on Tuesday. The Championship club paid a fee reported around $7.5 million to sign Max Arfsten from the Columbus Crew, prising loose a two-time MLS All-Star.

That number says plenty about where MLS sits now. The league stopped being a retirement home for fading names a while ago. These days it grows young players and sells them to Europe, and the fees keep climbing.

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Arfsten fits what clubs want from a full-back in 2026. Up and down the whole flank, dangerous going forward, comfortable in transition. Middlesbrough, chasing a route back to the Premier League, are buying a player who is young but has already logged real minutes at a good level.

Columbus walk away with a hole to fill and a fatter bank balance. The Crew now have to shop for a replacement after losing a regular starter from their system.

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