USMNT star signs for EFL Championship side, joining two World Cup teammates
· Yahoo Sports
Middlesbrough have looked to Major League Soccer for recruits once again, this time signing winger Max Arfsten from the Columbus Crew for an unspecified fee.
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The 25-year-old MLS Cup champion and two-time All-Star joins fellow USMNT star and new signing Sebastian Berhalter on Teeside, with the duo reuniting with international teammate Aidan Morris, who headed to Riverside Stadium two years ago, also from the Crew.
“I’m very excited to be here and want to do everything I can to make this fanbase proud,” Arfsten said following his signing. “When I heard about the ambitions of the club, how they are as people and the direction the club is going in, it intrigued me.
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“I’ve been wanting to come here for some time and now I just can’t wait to train with the team and hit the ground running.”
On the prospect of working alongside Berhalter and Morris once again, with whom he played at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, the 21-time international added, “Aidan especially has been telling me about the style of play, the culture of the club and the fanbase here.
“Having both Aidan and Seb here will make the transition easier, because it’s always a big deal signing for a new club. I’m just excited to have a new challenge and I’m looking forward to getting going.”
The 14th overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Crew, having spent the season prior with the San Jose Earthquakes II in MLS Next Pro, Arfsten went on to appear in 114 games for Columbus, scoring 20 goals and adding 21 assists. In just over two full seasons with Columbus, Arfsten helped his side win both the 2023 MLS Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup, whilst also finishing as the runners-up in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2024.
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Upon leaving Ohio, Arfsten said, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I truly believe this is an extremely special place, it’s hard to put into words just how much this Club means to me.
“If there’s anything I want people to know, it’s that I have a lot of respect and gratitude for the Columbus Crew, the City of Columbus and the fans. All you can really ask for is an opportunity and that was definitely given to me in Columbus. From the front office, the owners, the coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club, they really put a lot of time and effort into me these past four years in terms of my development.
“I can confidently say that no matter what, I’ll always consider myself a member of the Crew.”
Arfsten joins Kim Hellberg’s side fresh off his first World Cup, where he made just a single appearance, coming off the bench for one minute in their 4-1 Round of 16 defeat to Belgium. Mauricio Pochettino’s decision not to deploy Arfsten more regularly was somewhat of a surprise given that he had played in all 13 games prior to the tournament and has been named to each of his squads since January 2025.