Top 11 MLS Free Agents Ahead of 2025 Season

There are only 73 days until the 2025 MLS season kicks off. By the time we get through the holiday season, players will be close to reporting to their clubs for preseason training camp, jersey leaks will start trickling in, and general managers around the league will continue revamping their rosters in the unavoidable belief that somehow, maybe, this just might be their year.

A key mechanism to add players is through free agency. To be eligible, out-of-contract players must be at least 24 years old and have at least five years of MLS service. On Thursday, December 12, MLS free agency will officially open at 1 pm ET, allowing teams to officially begin negotiations with free agents.

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we’re breaking down the best available free agents.

A quick caveat: For simplicity's sake, players like João Paulo , Albert Rusnák , Aaron Long, Wil Trapp and others who are still in discussions with their prior clubs and are expected to return are not included here. Onward!

11 Tim Melia

• Previous team: Sporting Kansas City (2015-2024)
• Age: 38
• Position: Goalkeeper
• 2024 appearances: 28
• 2024 saves/clean sheets: 78/3
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $637,500

The long-time Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper certainly isn’t at the peak of his powers, but Tim Melia is still a good starting goalkeeper at this level who has been let down over the last few years by a struggling defense in front of him. Players like Brad Guzan , Stefan Frei , Joe Willis and Steve Clark are reminders that goalkeepers are capable of playing at a high level into their late 30s, and there are more than a few teams around the league who should give Melia a look. San Diego FC , anyone?

10 Alex Ring

• Previous team: Austin FC (2021-2024)
• Age: 33
• Position: Holding midfielder
• 2024 appearances: 31
• 2024 goals/assists: 2/7
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $1,665,000

Alex Ring is the most expensive player on this list, occupying a Designated Player spot for most of his time with Austin FC . He won’t command anywhere close to the same salary in the open market, but he’s still a very serviceable player who can fill a number of roles, but would be best in a scenario where he’s not shoehorned into the starting lineup every week.

9 Kei Kamara

• Previous team: Los Angeles FC (2024)
• Age: 40
• Position: Striker
• 2024 appearances: 27
• 2024 goals/assists: 3/6
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $89,716

The second-highest goalscorer in MLS history on a senior minimum contract? Um… yes please.

Seriously, Kei Kamara isn’t going to light the league on fire (he’ll turn 41 in September), but he still showed that he’s more than capable of being a threat at the MLS level.

Elite in the air and an unselfish holdup player, the 19-year veteran of 12 teams should be an easy add for a team in the hunt for trophies in multiple competitions. Los Angeles Galaxy or FC Cincinnati would be intriguing.

8 Brandon Servania

• Previous team: Toronto FC (2023-2024)
• Age: 25
• Position: Midfielder
• 2024 appearances: 3
• 2024 goals/assists: 0/0
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $602,708

Brandon Servania missed all but three matches of the 2024 season with a torn ACL suffered at the end of 2023, but when healthy the FC Dallas academy product can be a dynamic and industrious addition to any midfield. He's an intriguing choice for a team looking for a player with high upside.

7 Xavier Arreaga

• Previous team: New England Revolution (2024)
• Age: 30
• Position: Center-back
• 2024 appearances: 28
• 2024 goals/assists: 0/1
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $775,000

The 30-year-old Ecuador international defender joined New England Revolution mid-season from Seattle Sounders , and improved a bad team during his 23 matches. It was somewhat of a surprise to see his option declined, and while he's certainly not a flawless defender, he's very much a starting-caliber player who would raise the level of a lot of teams around the league.

6 Aníbal Godoy

• Previous team: Nashville SC (2020-2024)
• Age: 34
• Position: Midfielder
• 2024 appearances: 23
• 2024 goals/assists: 1/4
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $721,250

Aníbal Godoy saw his option declined after four seasons in Music City. While a return to Nashville still isn’t out of the question, he’ll have plenty of suitors in free agency, despite turning 35 in February.

Godoy has loads of MLS experience, making over 200 appearances in 10 seasons with Nashville and San Jose, as well as being the second-most capped player in Panama Football history with 145 international matches. While he’s one of the older players on this list, he’s still a significant physical presence and would be a boost to many teams in a complementary role.

5 Ilie Sánchez

• Previous team: Los Angeles FC (2022-2024)
• Age: 34
• Position: Midfielder
• 2024 appearances: 31
• 2024 goals/assists: 1/3
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $1,267,875

Ilie Sánchez ’s effectiveness waned this season as LAFC continued to be less of a possession team and more of a transition team, but he still showed flashes of his ability to be the midfield metronome and set the tempo for a team that likes to play with the ball. His 2024 salary makes him one of the more expensive players on this list, but in the right setting he’s still a very capable midfield general.

4 Josef Martínez

• Previous team: CF Montreal (2024)
• Age: 31
• Position: Striker
• 2024 appearances: 23
• 2024 goals/assists: 11/3
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $1,309,091

Josef Martínez may not be the same player who scored 82 goals in his first three seasons with Atlanta United , but he’s a capable goalscorer. The ACL tear he suffered in 2020 derailed him, and although it took a while to get back up to speed, he’s adapted his game over the last few seasons — first with Inter Miami CF and most recently with Montreal — and is once again a consistent goal threat.

He depends heavily on service, and he'll almost certainly have to take a decreased salary, but on the right team he’d be a really nice complementary piece.

3 Jackson Yueill

• Previous team: San Jose Earthquakes (2017-2024)
• Age: 27
• Position: Holding midfielder
• 2024 appearances: 32
• 2024 goals/assists: 1/2
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $936,875

A fringe national teamer with seven seasons of experience in MLS, Jackson Yueill is an in-prime holding midfielder and a proven leader. He’s at his most comfortable when dictating the tempo from a deeper role in midfield, but has a decent amount of positional flexibility. One of the longest-serving players for the ‘Quakes, the captain would be a welcome addition to plenty of MLS rosters, albeit at a steep price.

Could a reunion with former United States Soccer national team coach Gregg Berhalter with the Chicago Fire FC be on the cards?

2 Jeremy Ebobisse

• Previous team: San Jose Earthquakes (2022-2024)
• Age: 27
• Position: Striker
• 2024 appearances: 31
• 2024 goals/assists: 6/2
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $1,005,361

Jeremy Ebobisse has been stuck on an absolutely dreadful ‘Quakes team for the last three seasons, still managing to log 33 goals and nine assists in a stunningly dysfunctional attack. For context, Ebobisse on his own has recorded 25 percent of San Jose’s goals over the past three years.

With over 198 career regular season appearances and 60 goals on his resume, Ebobisse is a proven striker in MLS with fringe US national team experience, one who could thrive on a more functional team. He won’t come cheap, but plenty of teams will be interested in an in-prime, versatile and proven goalscorer.

1 Jack Elliott

• Previous team: Philadelphia Union (2017-2024)
• Age: 29
• Position: Center-back
• 2024 appearances: 28
• 2024 goals/assists: 0/3
• 2024 guaranteed compensation: $893,750

Jack Elliott has been among the league’s very best center-backs since the Union selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Just 29 years old, Elliott has 223 regular-season appearances and a Supporters’ Shield to his name, giving him the top pedigree in this year’s free agent class.

According to American Soccer Analysis (the preeminent publicly available source for all MLS data), Elliott led all center-backs in their “Goals Added” metric in 2024, and has been in the top five in four of the last six seasons. He’s still in his prime, doesn’t take an international roster spot, and would instantly raise the level of most of the teams around MLS. He’s easily in the S-tier of the 2024 free agent class.

• Brian Anunga (Midfielder, Nashville SC)
• Tim Parker (Defender, New England Revolution)
• Johnny Russell (Winger, Sporting KC)
• Alejandro Bedoya (Midfielder, Philadelphia Union)
• Raheem Edwards (Fullback, CF Montreal)
• Nick Lima (Fullback, New England Revolution)