St. Louis City is making a move to strengthen its struggling attack, bringing in Danish forward Carlo Holse for an approximately $6 million transfer fee, according to a Wednesday report from The Athletic.
The 27-year-old will hold designated player status once St. Louis City and his current club, Samsunspor, complete the deal.
The acquisition addresses a clear need — only five teams across MLS have put up fewer goals than St. Louis’ 19 on the season. Currently sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 5-6-4 record and 19 points, St. Louis trails the Los Angeles Galaxy by just one point for the final playoff berth, with 19 games still to play. The two sides are scheduled to meet Wednesday evening in Los Angeles.
Holse put together a strong campaign in the Turkish Super Lig last season, recording eight goals and four assists. He has reached that eight-goal mark in each season with Samsunspor since 2023. On the European stage, he contributed two goals and five assists across 10 UEFA Conference League appearances as the club advanced to the round of 16.
A player with one cap for Denmark’s national team, Holse could slot alongside fellow attacker Marcel Hartel in head coach Yoann Damet’s 3-4-2-1 system, filling one of two No. 10 roles. He brings both finishing ability and playmaking to the table — in one season with Norwegian club Rosenborg, he recorded 16 assists in a single campaign.
Across nine professional seasons playing in Denmark, Norway, and Turkey, Holse has accumulated 42 goals and 36 assists over 242 matches.
