The deal is officially done, and FC Cincinnati's Brenner Souza da Silva won't be here for much longer.
The transfer deal to send Brenner to Italian top-flight side Udinese was completed, Cincinnati announced Wednesday. FCC called the move a "club-record, multi-million-dollar" transfer deal.
The move is reported worth $10 million and would represent a loss on FC Cincinnati's own transfer fee to acquire Brenner during the winter months of 2021, which was reportedly around $13 million.
Still, the deal showed FC Cincinnati's current personnel decision makers can produce a talent worthy of Europe. Some questioned if Brenner fit that mold after his eight-goal output in 2021, but under General Manager Chris Albright and head coach Pat Noonan, Brenner erupted for 18 goals in 2022 from June through the regular-season finale.
Brenner was somewhat slow out of the gates in 2023 with just one goal to date but in terms of his long pursuit of playing in Europe, the hard work needed to convince a club to purchase him was already finished.
“We’re extremely happy for Brenner that he’s able to make this move and play in one of the biggest leagues in Europe,” Albright said in a team news release. “Our ultimate goal at FC Cincinnati is to win games for our incredible fans, and we understand that developing players is central to attracting the best talent. This is a significant transfer for our club and is a testament to everything our staff has done in the past year and a half. Our ownership will continue to give us the resources to compete and this transfer only adds to that commitment.”
More:FC Cincinnati's Brenner in 2022: 'The player that we always wanted him to be'
More:Why FC Cincinnati fans could be watching the final months of Brenner in MLS
FIFA, world soccer's governing body, dictates the windows in which players can move from one club to another, and Brenner is unable to physically join Udinese, which is approaching the end of its 2022-23 season anyway.
Brenner is expected to remain at FC Cincinnati through all of May and June, and the club announced his last scheduled match with the team is July 1 at TQL Stadium.
Balancing Brenner's desire to healthy for the next European season alongside FC Cincinnati's need to continue winning will be a storyline to follow in the coming months. If motivated Brenner should remain a fixture at FCC, but that's a lingering "if" given his wants as well as those of his future employer.
The long-sought transfer by Brenner
Brenner always seemed to have his sights set on Europe, even before he arrived to FC Cincinnati. Giant Europeans clubs were reportedly interested in him but it was Cincinnati that put up the real money to actually acquire him.
The initial 12 months at FC Cincinnati were underwhelming, though. Brenner was paid an annual seven-figure wage as a designated player, plus the exorbitant transfer fee Sao Paolo FC commanded for his sale. By the end of the 2021 season, pundits were already labeling Brenner as a bust.
Early in 2022, Brenner reportedly requested a transfer away from FCC, and that wasn't even the first indication he was unhappy at the club. But it was an indication Cincinnati had to take seriously. Concerns gave way to a slow start to 2022 but he eventually found his footing, recording three hat-tricks and seeing FCC safely across the playoff cut line last season.
For most players, that would have been a legacy to leave behind and feel proud of. But there was more to come in Brenner's story. Maybe his Decision Day hat-trick against D.C. United, which officially clinched FCC's first-ever MLS Cup playoff berth, will be his legacy. Others will definitely disagree with that contention.
By Noonan's own admission, Brenner was FC Cincinnati's best player in the early days of the 2023 preseason. Brenner was also seeking another transfer move out of Cincinnati. Big clubs came calling, including Udinese, which foreshadowed the deal that was confirmed by the clubs Wednesday. But no deal was reached ahead of the 2023 MLS season.
Because of this, Noonan raised open questions about keeping Brenner bought-in at FC Cincinnati. Due to a combination of time away from the team and a family illness, Brenner was unavailable for the final weeks of preseason, which again seemed likely to give him a slow start to a season.
Brenner's legacy at FC Cincinnati
This will be dissected for months, and maybe years: What did the mercurial Brenner leave behind for the club to build on, if anything?
Sometimes, when Brenner and FC Cincinnati could agree on common ground, the partnership was must-see TV. Brenner, when motivated to play in Europe and bought-in on the idea he could use FC Cincinnati to achieve that, produced scintillating results.
There was the NYCFC game where he technically put the ball past goalkeeper Sean Johnson and into the net five times. Three of the goals stood, and the other two were called back on marginal refereeing decisions. It was the most dominant performance the club had ever seen, and one worthy of the expense FCC incurred in bringing him in.
The Decision Day showing by Brenner at Audi Field has to be consider the most clutch performance in club history.
Fans will cherish those memories.
The problem with the partnership between player and club was that common ground seemed too often to be lacking. There was a disconnect. Pre-match press conferences tended to focus on Brenner as an individual, and then the rest of the team.
The arrangement was antithetical to the kind of culture Albright and Noonan were fostering.
Common ground allowed the two sides to enjoy one, full, successful season together. Long term successes will now be achieved after the parties diverge in a few months.
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