UPDATE (2 pm ET): Vancouver Whitecaps FC and forward Brian White have agreed to a contract extension through 2025 with a club option for 2026, the club made official on Thursday.
The deal was first reported by MLSsoccer.com.
“Brian has made a huge impact since joining the club last season and for his contributions, he has earned this new multiyear contract,” sporting director Axel Schuster said in a release. “In addition to all the offensive numbers, Brian is our first line of defense and does a lot of the hard work that doesn’t always appear on the stats sheet. Needless to say, we are excited by what we have seen from Brian and where he will go from here. We are very pleased Brian has committed his future to our club and city.”
“I am really excited to commit my future to the club,” added White. “Since I arrived in Vancouver, it has felt like a match made in heaven. The fans have supported me, the team has played well, and I feel a deep connection with my teammates, coaching staff, everyone at the club and in the city. I am looking forward to building on our success from last season and can’t wait to for what is next.”
ORIGINAL (12 pm ET): Vancouver Whitecaps FC and forward Brian White have agreed to a long-term contract extension, sources tell MLSsoccer.com. The deal includes four guaranteed years and a club option for a fifth year.
White, who turned 26 on Thursday, was a revelation with Vancouver last season after arriving in a trade from the New York Red Bulls. The center forward had 12 goals and five assists in 27 appearances for the Canadian club, helping orchestrate a second-half surge under then-interim head coach Vanni Sartini, leading the club to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
White quickly earned the starting role for Vancouver and formed a productive partnership with attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld, who was also signed by the club during the summer.
The New Jersey native, dubbed the New Jersey Mario Gomez, spent the beginning of his career with the Red Bulls. He had 15 goals in 47 MLS appearances with the club after signing an MLS deal in 2018, having excelled for RBNY's second team in the USL Championship. White was selected in the first round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft after starring at Duke University.
“Brian White is the example that if you’re selfless for the team – he’s one of the most selfless and team-oriented strikers I’ve ever seen in my life – the good is going to get back to you,” Sartini told MLSsoccer.com in November. “You’re in the right position, the ball will come back to you.”
White is expected to lead the lines for Sartini's Whitecaps again in 2022. They open their season on Feb. 26 at the Columbus Crew.
