TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Transfer
UPDATE (April 26) – FC Cincinnati have transferred star forward Brenner to Serie A side Udinese, the club announced Wednesday.
The Brazilian attacker reportedly made the move for a $10 million fee, plus add-ons and a sell-on percentage, amounting to a Cincinnati-record transfer and standing among the top 10 most expensive outbound transfers in league history.
Brenner will stay with Cincinnati until the beginning of July, when the European transfer window opens. His final MLS match will be on July 1, when the Orange & Blue face the New England Revolution at TQL Stadium.
"We’re extremely happy for Brenner that he’s able to make this move and play in one of the biggest leagues in Europe," FC Cincinnati general manager Chris Albright said in a release. "Our ultimate goal at FC Cincinnati is to win games for our incredible fans, and we understand that developing players is central to attracting the best talent.
"This is a significant transfer for our club and is a testament to everything our staff has done in the past year and a half. Our ownership will continue to give us the resources to compete and this transfer only adds to that commitment."
Over parts of three seasons, Brenner has scored 27 goals and eight assists in 72 appearances across all competitions. The Brazilian, who has six career game-winning goals that represent the most in club history, joined the club as a Young Designated Player in 2021 from São Paulo FC.
This season, Brenner has scored one goal in seven appearances, notching the game-winner in a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on March 11.
ORIGINAL (April 13) – FC Cincinnati and Serie A side Udinese have reached an agreement over the transfer of star forward Brenner, sources tell MLSsoccer.com. The deal is being finalized, but is not done yet.
When complete, it will become a club-record transfer for Cincy and stand among the top 10 most expensive outbound transfers in league history. The agreement was first reported by CBS's Roger Gonzalez.
Brenner will stay with Cincinnati until July before heading to Italy to start his career with Udinese ahead of the 2023-24 European season.
Udinese have long been admirers of Brenner. As previously reported by MLSsoccer.com, Cincy rejected a bid from Udinese in January. The club also rejected advances from English Premier League side Nottingham Forest, as none of their bids matched their valuation for Brenner. Dutch club PSV Eindhoven were interested as well, but never made an official bid.
Brenner, 23, enjoyed a breakout 2022 season under Cincy's new regime, with 18 goals and six assists in 29 appearances (2,061 minutes). He helped lead the club to their first-ever Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth as well as their first-ever postseason win.
Udinese are currently 10th in Serie A.
FC Cincinnati are off to a fast start this season with 17 points after seven games, currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference and the early Supporters' Shield standings.
When Brenner officially departs, the club still have star attackers Brandon Vazquez and Luciano Acosta. Forward Sergio Santos is likely to get the first chance at starting up top, while the club can also call on Dominique Badji.
Cincy already have a U22 Initiative slot open and will have a Young Designated Player spot open when Brenner leaves as well.
Before joining Cincy in 2021 via a reported $13 million transfer, Brenner broke through the São Paulo academy into the first team, where he tallied 24 goals and four assists in 56 senior appearances. He was linked with a potential outbound transfer ahead of the 2022 season, though Cincy rejected cut-rate offers. Under a new technical staff, led by general manager Chris Albright and head coach Pat Noonan, Brenner drastically improved on his eight goals and two assists output across 33 appearances (2,799 minutes) in 2021.
Brenner's partnership last season with fellow star striker Vazquez was among the best in the league, helping Cincy go from a third straight Wooden Spoon finish (last place in MLS) to their first-ever playoffs qualification and victory.
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