VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed another young Canadian, acquiring midfielder Emrick Fotsing from Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC in a transfer. The Major League Soccer team announced the move on Thursday, saying the 18-year-old CF Montreal academy product has signed a deal through the 2029-30 campaign with a club option for the following season. The ‘Caps say Fotsing suffered a hip injury while playing for Canada’s U-20 side earlier this month, and he will rehabilitate with his new team before returning to Vancouver FC on loan for the rest of the CPL season. The five-foot-11, 175-pound Fotsing will then join the Whitecaps ahead of MLS’s 2027 condensed “sprint” season. Fotsing, who hails from Mascouche, Que., joined Vancouver FC in February 2025 and has played 39 games for the CPL club, scoring four goals. He played for Canada at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Mexico earlier this month along fellow Whitecaps prospects Liam Mackenzie and Valter Sedin, and helped the nation qualify for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The Whitecaps have been watching Fotsing’s development closely, sporting director Axel Schuster said in a release. “He has continued his development, going from the CF Montréal Academy to Vancouver FC and impressing with Canada’s youth national teams,” he said. “He has shown the technical ability, intelligence, and character to compete at a high level, while still having room to grow.” The transfer fee was not released, but the CPL said in a release that the agreement is the largest in Vancouver FC’s history and the second largest in CPL history behind Kwasi Poku, who moved from Hamilton’s Forge FC to RWD Molenbeek in Belgium in 2024. Fotsing said in a release that his time with Vancouver FC has been “really important” for his development. “Having the opportunity to play meaningful minutes in the CPL and compete against experienced professionals every week at a young age has pushed me to grow and helped prepare me for opportunities like this,” he said. ”I’ve learned a lot from my teammates and coaches and developed both on and off the field. “I’m excited to remain with Vancouver FC for the rest of the season and help the team however I can, while also looking forward to what’s ahead with the Whitecaps.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026.
