The Columbus Crew have reached an agreement to transfer forward Diego Rossi to Liga MX side CF Monterrey for an undisclosed fee. The Athletic reported prior to the official team announcement that the fee could be up to $8 million for the native of Uruguay.

“Diego was an important part of the Crew’s success over the past three years. Our team and supporters will always appreciate his tireless work ethic and passion for our Club,” said Crew General Manager Issa Tall. “This is the right opportunity and time for Diego and our Club. We wish him the best as he and his family embark on this new journey.”

A two-time MLS All-Star in Columbus, Rossi helped the Crew capture the 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup, as well as reach the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup and 2024 Campeones Cup finals.

Rossi joined the Crew in August 2023 from Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe S.K. So far this season, he has recorded six goals and two assists in 15 MLS matches to lead the Crew. In 2025, he paced the Black & Gold with 16 goals. In his three seasons with the Crew, he has posted 51 goals in MLS, playoff, and Leagues Cup matches.

Rossi joined LAFC prior to the team’s debut in the 2018 MLS season, becoming the league’s second-youngest Designated Player at 19 years old. In 2020, a season shortened because of COVID-19, he scored 14 goals in 19 matches, making him the youngest Golden Boot winner in MLS history.

Before this week’s transactions, Rossi, Wessam Abou Ali, and Daniel Gazdag were the Designated Players on the Columbus roster. The departure of Rossi and a season-ending injury earlier in 2026 to Abou Ali created two DP slots. One of those was filled by the signing of Brais Méndez from La Liga’s Real Sociedad on Thursday.