United States men's national team forward Jesus Ferreira seemed one step closer to leaving for a Russian club, but Major League Soccer has reportedly blocked the move.
Ferreira and MLS side FC Dallas had agreed to a $13 million move to Spartak Moscow of the Russian Premier League, but the deal will no longer happen, The Athletic's Tom Bogert reported Wednesday, citing sources.
The report added that Ferreira wanted the transfer and had been in negotiations with Spartak Moscow on personal terms, but MLS told the player and FC Dallas that "there are risks for American business entities doing business with Russian entities."
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
MLS has the right to make such moves because it is a single-entity league that has to approve all transfers and paperwork. FC Dallas declined to comment on the matter, The Athletic noted, while MLS did not immediately provide comment.
Though a rare occurrence, it isn't the first time it has happened involving an MLS player. In 2022 after the Russia-Ukraine war escalated, the league stepped in to block New York Red Bulls midfielder Cristian Casseres Jr. transferring to Lokomotiv Moscow in a deal reportedly worth $5 million.
Ferreira, 23, earned All-Star nods in each of the last two seasons. He also has scored 15 times in 23 caps with the USMNT, which has seen European and Mexican clubs also keen on his services.
The transfer sum would've been one of the highest sales by Dallas, a team with one of the best academies in the league. Dallas had previously sold striker Ricardo Pepi to German club Augsburg for $18 million -- plus $2 million in add-ons -- in 2022.
