The midseason transfer window is always one of the most exciting times in any league campaign. With the Canadian Premier League table incredibly tight and just 13 points separating the top and bottom, multiple teams set out to strengthen their squads over the past few weeks. Some familiar faces found new CPL homes, some new players joined the league from exciting backgrounds and a few are already making their mark with their new sides. The transfer window officially closed at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8. However, signings and moves made before that time could still be announced at a later date and the list of exciting players might grow. For the timing being, however, here are ten signings made over the window that could have a significant impact on the second half of the CPL season:
Jefferson Alphonse, Halifax Wanderers
Alphonse is one of a trio of players from Ligue1 Québec side CS Saint-Laurent to join the Canadian Premier League this summer. A former Canadian youth international, the Anjou, Que.-born central defender came up through the CF Montréal system before joining Saint-Laurent. Making his first professional start this past Monday in a 3-2 victory against Vancouver FC, Alphonse showed his boundless potential, winning all six of his duels and making five clearances. This past month, he also got the opportunity to play for the Wanderers development team in the 2024 International Summer Series, where they faced Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough’s U-21 teams. Alphonse will be an especially important player for this Halifax side, because he qualifies for U-21 Canadian minutes — a category in which Halifax currently have the fewest in the league. Based on recent performances he could be an important piece in earning those required 2,000 minutes.
Kevin Ceceri, Pacific FC
Looking to add more experience and quality to their already excellent backline, Pacific FC signed experienced Argentine central defender Kevin Ceceri late last month. The 28-year-old most recently played for CSA Steaua in Romania, having previously spent time in Spain, Bolivia, Jordan, Chile and the Argentine top flight. He will strengthen an already solid Pacific backline, but one who lost Aly Ndom to injury early in the season and could therefore use a little bit of veteran savvy in that area of the pitch. Having just joined the club, he has yet to make his debut, but is expected to do so in their Salish Sea Derby clash with rivals Vancouver FC on Sunday. “Kevin brings experience,” said Pacific FC head coach James Merriman. “He’s played at the highest levels. He comes with ambition, he wants to grow. He wants a different experience and he’s come here hungry to win. He’s already shown us his attitude…so I think he’s a really big piece for us going forward into the second half of the season.”
Marco Domínguez, Pacific FC
The Tridents also strengthened their midfield during the window, with the signing of 28-year-old Marco Domínguez. The Montréal-born central midfielder came through the CF Montréal system but has played most of his professional career in Guatemala, where he won the Clausura with both Antigua and Municipal. Domínguez represented Canada at the U-17 World Cup in 2013, playing alongside future CPLers Ali Musse, Miki Cantave, Jordan Haynes, Jordan Hamilton, Marco Carducci and former Trident Marco Bustos. At the senior level, however, he has represented Guatemala, playing 16 times. Since joining Pacific, Dominguez has been a dominant force in the centre of midfield, winning 21 duels (80.77 per cent of those he has contested) and nine tackles in three starts with the Tridents.
Jorge Guzmán, York United
The Nine Stripes continued to build on their connections in Mexico this month, bringing in 20-year-old attacker Jorge Guzmán on loan from Liga MX side Atlas. Having made 25 senior appearances for the top-flight Mexican club, he joined York with a significant pedigree. In just two matches for York United, Guzmán has already set a league record, becoming the fastest player to record three assists in his CPL career. While it has been his playmaking that has been his standout trait so far, Guzmán has also proven dangerous on the dribble and in front of goal himself. “His speed with the ball and without the ball and his knowledge of the positioning gives us surprising movements,” said York United head coach Benjamín Mora after a 1-1 draw with Pacific FC this past weekend.
Ilias Iliadis, Atlético Ottawa
After joining Atleti for the run-in last year, Iliadis is back with the capital club for the remainder of this season on loan once again from CF Montréal. The 23-year-old made 12 appearances for the capital club last season, scoring once. The Toronto-born midfielder will add further quality to an already stacked Atlético Ottawa midfield. Critically, he also brings familiarity with the club and many of its players which will help him to quickly acclimatize and make an impact. Iliadis will give Atleti another more defensive option in midfield. As a holding midfielder, he is an excellent ball-winner, while also capable of springing attacks himself with a good range of passing.
Safwane Mlah, Valour FC
In late June, Valour FC made a splash by bringing in a pair of players from Ligue1 Québec champions CS Saint-Laurent, midfielder Safwane Mlah and attacker Loïc Kwemi. While Kwemi has shown an exciting spark off the bench, it is Mlah who has truly grabbed this opportunity with both hands so far. Since making his professional debut off the bench against the Halifax Wanderers on July 18, Mlah has started the past three games for Valour in central midfield. He scored his first professional goal in his first start, on July 21 in a 2-2 draw with Atlético Ottawa. “Mlah is a player who is young still, he has a lot to learn, but his upside is high, and he understands the game,” said Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos. “Things come simple and natural for him.”
Sean Rea, Halifax Wanderers
One of the most dynamic players in the league’s history returned this transfer window, this time taking his talents to the East Coast to join the Halifax Wanderers. Having spent two seasons with Valour in 2021 and 2022, Rea still holds the league single-season assist record with nine in the latter year. He also won the league’s Best U-21 Canadian Player of the Year following the 2022 campaign. In just 35 minutes off the bench this past week, Rea quickly showed why he is such an exciting signing for the Wanderers, with five touches in the box, two shot attempts a chance created and three successful dribbles. “I think it’s great news that a player of his calibre is able to come back to the league and continue to be one of the faces of the league and support it,” said Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar. “He has a high-level, very, very good end product. Good quality player and for me the most exciting thing is that he’s so fluid. He can almost play as a nine, a ten, left winger, right winger. So he really fits in with the group and the way we want to play.”
Olivier Rommens, Vancouver FC
Looking to add to their quality in the middle of the park, the Eagles brought in 29-year-old Belgian midfielder Olivier Rommens last month. Rommens is another player with a strong pedigree over in Europe having come through the PSV Eindhoven system, playing multiple years in the Netherlands and winning a Lithuanian Supercup. In just 183 minutes of action so far, Rommens is already proving to be an incredibly impressive technician on the ball. He has played 14 successful long balls, completed 91.38 per cent of his passes overall, and created five chances. “We struggle in maintaining possession, we struggle sometimes linking the backline to our strikers,” said Vancouver FC manager Afshin Ghotbi earlier this month. “We struggle to change sides with the right game tempo that we’re looking for. And we saw how, for example, Olivier in his first game with us, only a few days training how, I think he had 92 per cent pass accuracy, long passes six out of seven. And that’s what our league needs. We need more players like that to give a team a chance to possess the ball.”
Nicolas Wähling , Cavalry FC
The German attacker joined Cavalry in early July and almost instantly inserted himself into the starting lineup for the defending regular season winners — having already made four appearances. The 26-year-old came through both the Karlsruher and Hoffenheim systems in his native Germany, playing multiple seasons across the Regionalliga and 2. Bundesliga. He has fit in nicely on the left side of Cavalry’s attack, bringing energy and directness down that flank. In his four appearances so far for the Calgary club, he has three shots, three chances created, and has won eight duels.
Lowell Wright, Cavalry FC
One of the league’s youngest-ever signings when he joined York United at just age 16, Wright spent three seasons with the Nine Stripes before moving to the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2022. Still just 20, Wright has proven to be dangerous in front of goal wherever he has gone. He scored seven times in 44 matches with the Nine Stripes, and a further seven in 18 with Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro. He will be looking to bring that to Cavalry, who could certainly use a few more goalscoring options over the back half of the 2024 season. Wright has already looked dangerous in a pair of appearances in 2024, forcing a brilliant save from Vancouver FC’s Callum Irving with one of his first touches in a Cavalry shirt.