Vancouver Whitecaps 'open to moving' Jayden Nelson: report
The Vancouver Whitecaps nearly ended a miraculous run with an MLS Cup.
And while there were many key contributors for the club during the playoffs, one forward did see his minutes decline down the stretch.
A report from The Athletic mentioned that the Whitecaps are getting trade calls on four of their players: Mathias Laborda, Sebastian Berhalter, Ali Ahmed, and Jayden Nelson.
Each of the four players mentioned are under contract for next season, and the report goes on to say that the Whitecaps do plan on bringing all four players back.
However, it did suggest that the player most likely to be moved is Nelson.
“Nelson would like more playing time ahead of the World Cup,” The Athletic’s Tom Bogert writes. “He wasnât a regular starter by the seasonâs end. The Whitecaps are open to moving him as they donât want to hold him back for minutes.”
The 23-year-old forward is on the Canadian men’s national soccer team. However, he does appear to be on the roster bubble, as he’s started just twice in their last eight games across all competitions.
And, if the Whitecaps have any more health luck up front in the 2026 campaign, Nelson is likely facing a reduced role in Vancouver.
The Brampton, Ontario native was a key contributor for the Whitecaps early on in the 2025 season, especially as the team dealt with injuries.
When Nelson was available, he started more than half of the Whitecaps’ games across all competitions up until early October, averaging nearly 54 minutes per match.
What a beauty! đ@JaydenNelson__ scores his second goal of the season. He now has eight goal contributions (2G, 6A) in all competitions. #VWFC | #VANvRSL pic.twitter.com/salRpnH8tO
— X – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 4, 2025
However, the arrival of Thomas MĂźller, coupled with the return of Ryan Gauld, started to limit his opportunities.
After his last MLS game as a starter back on Oct. 5 against the San Jose Earthquakes, Nelson played just 50 minutes total in the Whitecaps’ last six games. Most of those minutes (38, to be exact) came during the Whitecaps’ dramatic win over LAFC, which required 30 minutes of extra time.
Nelson just finished his first year with the Whitecaps, scoring twice in 23 regular-season appearances. He came to the Whitecaps after two years in Europe. Before that, Nelson played for Toronto FC.