United States midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has joined English Championship side Middlesbrough from the Vancouver Whitecaps, the clubs announced Tuesday.
Berhalter, whose contract at the MLS club was due to expire at the end of 2026, has moved to England‘s second tier for an undisclosed fee. Vancouver said it would also retain a percentage of any future transfer for Berhalter.
The 25-year-old played a part in all five U.S. games at the recent FIFA World Cup. His only start came in a the group-stage loss to Türkiye, where he registered a goal and an assist.
After coming on as a substitute in the U.S. loss to Belgium in the round of 16, Berhalter has not featured for the Whitecaps.
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“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.”
Berhalter joined the Whitecaps in February 2022 from Columbus Crew and went on to make 167 appearances across all competitions, recording 20 goals and 34 assists.
At Middlesbrough, he will be reunited with former Columbus and USMNT teammate Aidan Morris.
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“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.
The son of former USMNT coach Gregg, Sebastian Berhalter was selected to last year’s MLS Best XI as he helped the Whitecaps reach the final of MLS Cup, where it lost to Inter Miami.
“Through his development at our club and his consistent performances, it was only natural that Sebastian attracted interest from several clubs,” Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. “We have been in open and ongoing discussions with Sebastian and his representatives about his future.
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“It was always clear that if the right opportunity to move to Europe presented itself, he wanted the chance to pursue that challenge. At the same time, we shared the understanding that if the timing wasn’t right, we would continue working together on his long-term future with our club.”
Berhalter joins a Middlesbrough side that missed out on a place in this season’s Premier League after losing to Hull City in the Championship playoff final in May.
