- Howard praises Crew for rejecting Middlesbrough‘s initial bid
- Compares market value to similar European prospects
- Analyst suggests Arfsten should command higher transfer fee
Tim Howard expressed his frustration over Middlesbrough’s recent transfer pursuit of Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten, pointing to what he perceives as an undervaluation of American talent in the European market. The former Everton and Manchester United goalkeeper dismissed Middlesbrough’s reported $3.5 million bid as inadequate for a player of Arfsten’s quality and potential, arguing it reflects a persistent double standard in how American defenders are valued compared to their European counterparts.
“I mean, Middlesbrough man, like, pay us like you owe us, this is crazy. You know, he’s a young, up-and-coming U.S national team player, right? More than likely going to be on the World Cup roster if he continues this way.” Howard said on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast with Landon Donovan. “The rest of the world, wake up, man. This is such a slap in the face.”
Howard mentioned that when soccer fans hear about USMNT stars complaining about a bias against them, this is a clear showcase of it.
“People who constantly complain about us banging in the drum about like, ‘Woe is me with the American player.’ This is an example of it. If this was a young French kid, a young French left back, who just cracked into a national team who just played [in a tournament]…maybe $20 million. You can’t get a bag of balls for $3 million dollars.”
Howard praised the Columbus Crew’s decision to reject the Championship club’s approach, saying the club recognizes Arfsten’s true market value amid increasing European interest in the 22-year-old left-back and should hold out based on comparable transfers.
“So hats off to Columbus for saying, ‘yeah but thanks for no thanks’. Like, because, here’s the other thing, here’s the other thing. Given what you and I have spoken about, [Djorde] Mihailovic just went for $8 million plus $1 million add-on,” he said.
“So, I’m looking at this, if I’m in the league and I’m like, I got money to spend, I’m going in with a bit of $4 million bucks. I’m gonna go, ‘well, hang on, Mihailovic just went for eight to nine million, I can get a great fee, four million for Max Arfsten? And I can have him for the next five years or certainly get a sell-on for him? It’s a no-brainer. It’s crazy. It’s crazy.”
Howard also praised Arfsten’s strong form despite being the subject of transfer rumors.
“So excited for Max Arfsten because what we want to see, right? And we’re on the outside and we know a thing or two,” he said. “But what people want to see, what Columbus and Mauricio Pochettino want to see, is you go from strength to strength, right?
“So you have a good summer, great. What do you do? Just kick back, hang out, or do you crack on? And he’s shown that, like that wasn’t just a one-time thing, that he’s ready to keep pushing. So, you go back, the coach always tells us, right? Go back to your club team. Keep proving it, he’s done that,” he said.
Arfsten made his debut for Columbus Crew in 2023 and has since made 63 MLS appearances for the club, contributing to 21 goals. He made his debut for the USMNT in January 2025 and has since earned 10 caps, a tally that includes five at the 2025 Gold Cup.
Arfsten will continue his development with Columbus Crew while the club considers whether to entertain improved offers from other suitors.
