St. Louis CITY SC is closing in on a blockbuster acquisition of Colorado Rapids striker Rafael Navarro, a deal that would reset the market for player movement between MLS clubs.
Multiple sources briefed on the talks say CITY SC is expected to pay in the region of $12 million in a cash trade. That figure would surpass FC Cincinnati’s $12 million acquisition of Evander from the Portland Timbers ahead of the 2025 season and stand as a new record for a deal between MLS teams. It would also be a club-record outgoing fee for Colorado and a club-record incoming fee for St. Louis.
Broad terms are in place, according to those sources, but several details still need to be finalized. The deal is not complete. If talks stall over the next day, Navarro would remain available for Colorado’s match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old Brazilian has been CITY SC’s top target this summer. Sporting director Corey Wray and head coach Yoann Damet have worked the deal for an extended period as they rebuild the attack after moving Marcel Hartel and Eduard Löwen. Navarro is viewed internally as the profile who can immediately raise the ceiling of a front line that has relied on Simon Becher (5 goals, 4 assists) and the recently added designated player Carlo Holse.
Navarro has 11 goals and 5 assists for the Rapids this season. The 6-foot, right-footed center forward combines box finishing, late runs, hold-up play, and a high work rate off the ball. He joined Colorado on loan from Palmeiras in 2023, signed permanently in 2024, and remains under contract through 2027 with a club option. He occupies a designated-player slot in Commerce City.
Colorado recently set its own club-record sale when defender Lucas Herrington moved to Hull City for an initial $17 million. The Rapids have received interest in Navarro across multiple windows and have prepared for the possibility he could leave. Adding a high-volume MLS striker in the final days of the window would give Damet a focal point at Energizer Park as CITY SC sits in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
A completed move would give St. Louis another Brazilian presence alongside Célio Pompeu and Rafael Santos and would be the clearest signal yet that ownership and the front office are willing to spend at a new level to compete. Until the remaining details are resolved, Navarro remains a Rapid. If they are resolved, CITY SC will have made the biggest intra-league splash in club history.
