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Austin FC announced today that the Club acquired Canadian international winger Jayden Nelson in a trade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In exchange, Austin sent $700,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM), $550,000 in 2027 GAM, and its 2026 MLS SuperDraft First Round pick to Vancouver. Vancouver may also retain a percentage of a future trade or transfer fee if the player is traded or sold above a certain monetary amount.
Nelson, 23, spent last season with Vancouver. In his debut for the club, he scored a goal and tallied three (3) assists in a 4-1 win over Portland. He went on to make 40 appearances across all competitions in 2025 as Vancouver won the Canadian Championship and reached both the MLS Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup finals, totaling three (3) goals and 11 assists.
At the senior international level, Nelson has made 12 appearances for Canada including one (1) in this past summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. He scored against Cuba in a 2023 Gold Cup match and against Barbados in a friendly.
Originally from Ontario, Nelson came through the Toronto FC academy and made his MLS debut with Toronto in 2020. In 2022, he played 45 minutes in the Canadian Championship Final, which Toronto won on penalties.
After three (3) seasons with TFC, Nelson transferred to Norwegian side Rosenborg in February 2023 where he contributed eight (8) goals and eight (8) assists in 44 games before joining SSV Ulm in the German second division on loan in August 2024. He then returned to MLS the following January, joining Vancouver prior to the start of the 2025 season.
Nelson will occupy Senior and International designations on the Austin FC roster.
Transaction: Austin FC agrees to a trade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Austin acquires winger Jayden Nelson in exchange for $700,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM), $550,000 in 2027 GAM, and Austin’s 2026 MLS SuperDraft First Round pick.
Player Details:
Name: Jayden Nelson
Position: Winger
Height: 5’7”
Date of Birth: September 26, 2002
Birthplace: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Nationality: Canadian
Last club: Vancouver Whitecaps FC
How acquired: Trade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Roster Designations: Senior, International
Current Austin FC Roster (25)
Goalkeepers (2): Damian Las, Brad Stuver
Defenders (9): Jon Bell, Guilherme Biro, Mikkel Desler, Mateja Djordjević, Jon Gallagher, Brendan Hines-Ike, Žan Kolmanič, Oleksandr Svatok, Riley Thomas
Midfielders (7): Micah Burton, Nico Dubersarsky, Dani Pereira, Besard Sabovic, Ilie Sánchez, Ervin Torres, Owen Wolff
Forwards/Wingers (7): Osman Bukari, CJ Fodrey, Jayden Nelson, Jáder Obrian, Robert Taylor, Myrto Uzuni, Brandon Vazquez