Whitecaps re-sign all-star goalkeeper Takaoka, trade Nelson to Austin FC

Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka (1) returns the ball during the first half of the MLS Cup final soccer match against the Inter Miami Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Vancouver Whitecaps were busy Thursday, re-signing goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, trading Canadian winger Jayden Nelson to Austin FC and taking four players in the MLS SuperDraft.

Takaoka finished third in MLS Goalkeeper of the Year balloting after a stellar season in which he recorded a club-record 16 shutouts across all competitions in a team-leading 46 starts.

The 29-year-old from Japan, who joined Vancouver in 2013, led Major League Soccer with 13 clean sheets during the regular season, tying the club record set by David Ousted in 2015.

“It was important to sign Yoehi and have the goalkeeper position locked in,” Axel Shuster, Vancouver’s chief executive officer and sporting director, told a virtual availability from Europe.

Takaoka’s existing contract was set to expire at the end of the month.

Vancouver then traded Canadian international winger Jayden Nelson to Austin FC in exchange for US$1.25 million in general allocation money and Austin’s first-round pick, 17th overall, in Thursday’s draft.

Shuster said it’s a trade that would not have happened had 2026 not been a home World Cup.

“No one wanted to move Jayden out because we thought he’s not the right fit or has done something wrong or wasn’t good enough or whatever,” said Schuster. “And he told me that he wouldn’t have planned to go, because he was very appreciative about the time here, about (the fact) that we believed in him when he was at his lowest low — those were his words.”

Nelson wanted playing time, something not guaranteed in Vancouver with Ryan Gauld and Ali Ahmed ahead of him on the Vancouver depth chart.

“We have a lot of players who compete for this position,” said Schuster. “And you could see lately that he’s not the first(-choice) starter for us.”

Schuster said he had offers from three clubs, with Nelson taking part in the decision-making process.

Vancouver acquired Nelson from Norway’s Rosenborg in January. The 23-year-old came up through the Toronto FC academy, before leaving for Norway in February 2023.

Schuster said he had received written transfer offers — “not just talk” — on six other players. But he was not interested, looking to build upon a stellar 2025 season that saw the Whitecaps finish second in the Western Conference at 18-7-9, defend its Canadian Championship and reach both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and MLS Cup final.

“We want to keep most of the team together … We have a squad that is as good as the one last (season). We have a squad that has again depth and a nice mixture of young players, experienced players, top players in this league. And we will need all of them.”

Schuster said his goal is to get Ahmed and all-star midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who both had their 2026 contract options exercised earlier this month, to agree to contract extensions before the World Cup.

The Whitecaps executive said central midfield is probably the only position in need of shoring up, given Ralph Priso’s move to centre back.

The Whitecaps used the Austin first-round pick to take midfielder Zach Ramsey, who won the NCAA College Cup with the University of Washington on Monday. Vancouver then used its own first-rounder (29th overall) on Daniel Lugo, a high-scoring forward from High Point University.

Ramsey, a sophomore central midfielder, has 10 goals and 10 assists in 41 games, including 26 starts, for the Huskies.

Vancouver took forward Yeider Zuluaga from Seattle University in the second round (59th overall) and Washington midfielder Connor Lofy in the third (89th overall). While Zuluaga is Colombian, he has a green card so does not count as an international.

Lofy had four goals and two assists as a redshirt sophomore and made the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.

Schuster said the team would not rush the four drafted players, giving them time to develop, with a return to school a possibility.

On the stadium front, Schuster said the team will be back at B.C. Place Stadium next season after meetings with B.C. Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), the provincial Crown corporation that operates the venue.

“Our situation will be better,” he said.

How much better and for how long will depend on further talks, he said.

In the longer term, the Whitecaps and City of Vancouver have signed a memorandum of understanding to enter an exclusive negotiation period through 2026 to explore a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Park.

Schuster said the proposed site has both pros and cons, citing public transport and parking.

Asked about the Whitecaps facing more games next season by taking part in the Leagues Cup, Schuster said the team was all for it.

“If there is a competition, we want to play in it and we want to compete in it, because that’s the mentality of our players, that’s the mentality of our club.”

The Leagues Cup also comes with significant bonuses for players, he noted.

Whitecaps players will report Jan. 13, with training camp to follow in Spain.

This report by Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press, was first published Dec. 18, 2025.