Top 10 most valuable players in MLS 2023

The World Cup winner from Argentina is the MVP of the league

MLS has seen significant growth in recent years, attracting top talents from around the world. While the league has experienced notable player transfers and signings, it is enhancing the overall quality of the league.

The list of valuable players can evolve as new talent emerges and existing players continue to excel or experience fluctuations in form. It is essential to recognize that opinions on player valuation can differ among fans, experts, and analysts, making it a subjective matter.

The top 10 most valuable players in MLS for 2023 are:

10. Cucho Hernandez- €10M

The 24-year-old Colombian has experience of playing in the Premier League, he played for Watford in the 2021-22 season before moving to the MLS. He plays as a striker for the MLS club Columbus Crew and the Colombia national team.

He has played 16 games so far in the MLS, he has scored 5 goals and provided 6 assists already. He has the capability to score from outside the box and in the penalty area- out of 5 goals that he has scored, 4 of them have been inside the box.

9. Facundo Torres- €10M

Torres, the 23-year-old emerged as a star throughout the 2022 season, which saw him lead Orlando City to a U.S. Open Cup title. He signed with the club from Penarol for a club-record fee and it didn't take long for him to adjust to MLS.

The Uruguayan star has already been linked with the Gunners, who see him as a potential backup to Bukayo Saka with plenty of upside to his game. He has also expressed that LaLiga or Premier League would be his targets, if he decides to move to Europe.

8. Lorenzo Insigne- €12M

Former Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne signed with Toronto FC in 2022 and has admitted playing in MLS has been tougher than he imagined. The 31-year-old joined Toronto FC on a free transfer after leaving the Italian giants following a decade's service last summer. He straight away took the captain arm band, in this season of MLS, he has played 14 matches, scored 3 goals, and 2 assists. The stats don't do justice to what he is capable of doing on the field.

7. Hany Mukhtar- €12M

The Germany international leads MLS in goals scored with 13 goals and seven assists, proving that he can do it all for Nashville in their hunt for silverware. Mukhtar has been a consistent performer week in and week out for Nashville. Hany Mukhtar was the 2022 MLS MVP and he looks set to go back-to-back if he keeps up his current form for Nashville, the club currently sits at the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference table.

6. Jose Cifuentes- €12M

Jose Cifuentes is a 24-year-old Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a midfielder for MLS club Los Angeles and the Ecuador national team. After spending most of his career in Ecuador, he made a move to MLS in 2020.

Since then, he has been playing for the California club, every season since he joined he has been involved in 10 G/A per season. This season he has played 19 matches so far, his future looks uncertain as Rangers- the Scottish club are looking to sign him before the beginning of the Scottish Premiership.

5. Sebastian Driussi- €15M

Austin FC midfielder Sebastian Driussi is the fifth-highest paid player in Major league Soccer this season, after missing some games for the club due to injury, the 27-year-old Argentine cored 22 goals in MLS last season, making it three countries in which he's reached double-digit goals (Argentina, Russia, United States). There was interest from Leeds in the Premier League to sign him but he chose to stay in the MLS.

4. Valentin Castellanos- €15M

Valentin "Taty" Castellanos is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club New York City FC. He has been playing in the MLS for almost 5 years now, the forward has double digits when it comes to scoring. He was loaned to Girona- the newly promoted club before the 2022-23 season and has expressed that he will love to continue in Europe amid interest from Lazio.

3. Talles Magno- €15M

Talles Magno is a 21-year-old Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club New York City FC, he was also included in The Guardian's "Next Generation 2019". Magno helped the Brazilian U-17 national team win the U-17 World Cup in 2019 on home soil. As a player who flourishes the most with the ball at his feet and a target man to feed and work off of, his form has been fluctuating this season for the MLS club.

2. Thiago Almada- €20M

The young World Cup winner is key to Atlanta United's success and they will always have a shot at winning as long as he's in the side. Thiago Almada started the 2023 campaign in red-hot form, his seven goals and eight assists in 16 games played has kept Atlanta in a strong playoff position. The 22-year-old's performances have attracted interest from European giants and he could set a new MLS transfer record this summer. Manchester United are one club that is interested in signing the young Argentine to provide them versatility.

1. Lionel Messi- €35M

Lionel Messi has already impressed for Inter Miami on his debut and first start. But let’s face it, in just half a season at this level, he could still tear apart opposition defenses. As long as he doesn’t take an extended holiday or adapt too well to the Miami nightlife, he should be able to score a multitude of goals to give him a late surge for the MVP award. He is the most valuable player in the MLS, even though he just signed this summer transfer window and was announced by the club in front of fans couple of days ago.