How long will the Crew be able to keep Max Arfsten? | OneFootball

I’m sure Crew fans got a bad feeling in the pit of their stomach when they saw the news that an offer had been made for Max Arfsten. After losing Aidan Morris last summer and Cucho just before the start of the 2025 MLS season, the thought of losing another key member of Wilfried Nancy’s squad is enough to leave us curled in a fetal position. Unfortunately, it also leaves us asking just how long the Crew keep him.

This past week, GiveMeSport reported the Crew had turned down an offer from French side Toulouse for their young wingback. No dollar amount was given, but speculation is it was a lowball offer and that’s why the Crew would not part with the 24-year-old native of Fresno, California. You can bet if one European club has noticed Arfsten, others have as well.

It’s probably safe to say Arfsten’s appearances for the USMNT (3 caps) have helped his stock rise. But his play in the upcoming Gold Cup could well determine if the Crew receives a too-good-to turn-down offer in the July transfer window. He’ll have at least five opportunities (two friendlies, three group stage matches) to show what he can do against the best in North and Central America this month. If he plays well, you can see the Crew receiving a viable offer.

Arfsten’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. In 2023, his first season with the Crew after being taken by them in the first round of the MLS Draft, he appeared in just 12 matches. Last season saw him play well enough in his role as a full-time starter to earn his first international call up. He was in the starting lineup for the USMNT’s friendly against Venezuela on January 18th. From little-used substitute to national team starter in two seasons. Is it any wonder Europe has noticed?

How long will the Crew be able to keep Max Arfsten? Here is the prediction of a soccer non-expert (that would be me): if he doesn’t leave in the upcoming July transfer window, I’ll be shocked if he isn’t gone during the January one. I think he is an emerging talent who is going to find himself on the roster of a European side sooner rather than later.