Middlesbrough are completing a deal to sign US midfielder Sebastian Berhalter from Vancouver Whitecaps, sources briefed on the deal say. Athletic.
Berhalter, whose contract expires this winter, will move in the summer transfer window. Sources say Boro will pay a fee of around $2 million over Berhalter, who will walk free over the winter. Sources add that around 6-10 clubs have seriously pursued Berhalter this summer.
He failed in the Whitecaps’ 4-3 loss to FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night as the deal progressed.
Berhalter, 25, competed for Team USA at the World Championships this summer. He appeared in all five U.S. matches (one as a starter) and scored with a powerful strike against Turkey in the group stage, adding an assist in the process. He was named to the MLS Midfielders of the Year list in 2025 and was again one of the league’s top midfielders in 2026, earning All-Star recognition.
Berhalter scored five goals and made 13 assists in all competitions last season, operating as a midfielder from box to box. He helped lead the Whitecaps to the Canadian title and also helped the club reach the MLS Cup final and the Concacaf Champions Cup final.
The son of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, Sebastian made his international debut under Mauricio Pochettino in the summer of 2025 and made it into the World Cup squad. He has 18 matches to his name.
Berhalter will join American midfielder Aidan Morris at Boro. Morris and Berhalter are close friends and former youth teammates from their days with the Columbus Crew.
Boro have been active in the US market, signing Morris as well as former Charlotte defender Adilson Malanda. Last year, the team rejected the club’s bid for American wingback Max Arfsten.
Berhalter’s rise has been one of the sweetest stories in MLS in recent years. He was originally acquired by the Whitecaps for a nominal fee of $50,000 in general money (MLS salary cap mechanism) in 2022. This is the smallest nominal value of GAM that can be traded.
Since then he has developed into one of the league’s best midfielders, a World Cup player and soon to make his league debut.