Crew acquire Julian Gressel from Whitecaps

The Vancouver Whitecaps traded midfielder Julian Gressel to the Columbus Crew on Friday in exchange for $550,000 of general allocation money.

Per the terms of the deal, the Crew will send the Whitecaps $275,00 in GAM in 2023 and $275,000 more in 2024. The Whitecaps could receive up to $300,000 in additional money if certain conditions are met.

"Julian has been a consummate professional during his time here in Vancouver," Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a news release. "... Although Julian and his family enjoyed their time here, ultimately, they decided that in the long term they wanted to be closer to family and friends. For that reason, we were unable to come to an agreement on an extension."

Gressel, 29, has played in 202 matches in his MLS career (181 starts) for Atlanta United (2017-19), D.C. United (2020-22) and Vancouver (2022-23). He has tallied 24 goals and 55 assists.

In 18 matches (16 starts) for the Whitecaps in 2023, he had three goals and five assists, with 32 total shots and 10 shots on target.

Gressel has also made six appearances for the U.S. men's national team, earning his debut earlier this year.

"Throughout his career, Julian has been a versatile, dangerous player with a strong ability to create goals and assists, which has helped his clubs win championships and led him to the U.S. Men's National Team," Crew general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a news release. "As we continue to push toward becoming a consistent contender in the East, we are constantly evaluating opportunities to strengthen our roster, and adding a player of Julian's caliber and character to our dynamic attack will be impactful as we enter Leagues Cup and the final stretch of the regular season."