Colorado Rapids Rumor Tracker: 2023 Primary Transfer Window

The 2023 MLS Primary Transfer Window is open. The Colorado Rapids are having an proper silly season. Here Burgundy Wave will compile rumors in real time as they come up. We’ll also be giving you our best guess of the likelihood of a deal getting done (sometimes with insider knowledge) with our rumor ranking. Full disclosure, I stole this idea from Corner of the Galaxy.

This tracker was last updated January 30th.

Midfielder Connor Ronan

Ronan is a 24-years-old central midfielder for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He’s played sparingly for the first team in four seasons with just one Premier League cap. The Irishman has had a number of loan spells, mostly in the EFL League One. He started for Grasshoppers two years ago in the Swiss second division and was on loan to St Mirren in Scotland last year. Padraig Smith probably knows someone who knows him well. Jack Price spent two years with him and probably knows what it’s all about.

01/18 - Mike McGrath of the Telegraph reports that Wolves have agreed to a permanent transfer with Colorado. Later that day, numerous outlets confirmed the report, including Burgundy Wave.

01/23: Colorado Rapids officially sign Ronan. Express and Star reports a £500k transfer fee.

Rumor Ranking: Completed.

Goalkeeper Patrick Pentz

The 26-year-old Austrian has been riding the bench for Stade de Reims in Ligue 1 after starting the first seven league games. Prior to that, he was a starter for Austria Wien, winning Team of the Year honors twice in the Austrian Bundesliga. I wrote more about the potential logic behind this here.

01/14 - oe24 out of Austria reports the club is interested in the keeper.

01/18 - Burgundy Wave reports that there is interest, but that any discussions are preliminary.

01/23 - L’Union reports that Pentz is expected to leave Stade de Reims, with his contract terminated. This would make him available on a free transfer.

01/24 - kick.at reports that the deal is done or near completion. League sources state side begin to confirm those same report.

01/26 - Multiple outlets in Europe report that Bayer Leverkusen make a move to sign Pentz as a backup goalkeeper due to Andrey Lunev getting injured.

01/27 - Derek Rae reports that Pentz undergoes a medical and is due to sign. Bayer 04 makes it official.

Rumor Ranking: Polar Vortex Cold.

Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho

The 24-year-old is currently starting for AC Omonia, one of the two super clubs in the Cypriot First Division. He spent most of his youth career at the Aspire Academy before jumping to Deportivo La Coruña. He rode the bench in La Liga for a few years before getting loaned to Omonia. He’s spent four years there now between Omonia and APOEL (the other super club). He’s capped 24 times for Nigeria, including starting for Super Eagles in the 2018 World Cup. Read more about him here.

1/18 - Luca Bendoni of Gianluca Dimarzio reports that first talks have taken place. Toulouse FC of Ligue 1 are also interested.

Rumor Ranking: Luke Warm. Let’s see if there’s more noise first. Also Toulouse is a way bigger club.

Center Back Andreas Maxsø

The 28-year-old is the starter and captain for Superligaen side Brøndby IF in Denmark. The 6’3” Dane was at Brøndby and FC Nordsjælland as a youth player. He turned pro in 2013 for Nordsjælland and then had a walkabout, playing in Switzerland, Turkey, and the German third division. He returned to his boyhood club in 2019 and played regularly since. The fans like him and he appears to be a boss in the air and good at the Danny Wilson-like longballs. Brøndby are in position for the relegation round with five games to go in the positions round, so Maxsø could be looking to exit a potentially sinking ship.

1/19 - Fabrizio Romano tweets that the Rapids are set to sign him. Three year deal with a one year option.

1/25 - Tom Bogert reports the deal is being finalized.

1/26 - Sources tell Burgundy Wave that Maxsø has a buyout clause less than €2 million. Colorado Rapids are likely to pay much less than that with his contract expiring at the end of the summer. The final transfer fee is believed but be €1 million or less.

1/27 - Colorado Rapids officially sign Maxsø to a three-year deal with a team option for 2026. He will occupy a DP and International Slot.

Rumor Ranking: Completed.

Winger Diego Lainez

The former Club America right winger is currently at Braga, on loan from Real Betis. He’s not getting much playing time and hasn’t even made the bench since the Portuguese side resumed play after the World Cup. He was on the preliminary World Cup roster for Mexico but didn’t make the final cut for Tata.

1/18 - Fernando Cevallos of Fox Sports MX reports MLS teams are interested in Lainez, including Dallas, Houston, and Colorado. Later that day, everybody on Rapids Twitter called cow poop. Burgundy Wave has heard no truth to this, as have other outlets.

Rumor Ranking: Cold. If Lainez can’t find a softer landing spot in Europe, he’s going back to Mexico or getting the bag in MLS. Don’t expect the Rapids to provide said bag.

Left Back Alex Gersbach

Gersbach is a starting left back for Grenoble Foot 38 in Ligue 2. The Socceroo grew up in the A-League, with most of his time at Sydney FC. He then spent three years at Rosenborg BK that included a brief loan to Lens in France. After bench stops at Aarhus (Benny Feilhaber’s old Danish club) and NAC Breda in the Netherlands, he moved to Grenoble. They are in a relegation fight to potentially drop down to the third division. Gersbach is out of contract at the end of the European season.

1/23 - Grenoble Foot Info reports the player could leave this transfer window and that the Rapids are a possible landing spot.

1/25 - Tom Bogert reports the Rapids are finalizing the deal.

1/31 - The club announces Gersbach has signed a three-year deal plus a team option for 2026.

Rumor Ranking: Completed.