Orlando City
Orlando City Announces Signing of Norwegian Midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth as MLS U22 Initiative Player
The Lions add depth in central midfield with a promising young prospect.
Orlando City SC announced today the long-reported signing of midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth from Norwegian side Kristiansund BK. The deal was completed prior to the MLS secondary transfer window closing last week, but the club can’t announce signings until the paperwork has been completed. Bruseth will occupy an MLS U22 Initiative slot, signing a deal through the 2026 season with club options for 2027 and 2028. The signing is pending receipt of Bruseth’s P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
“We’re very happy to welcome Heine to Orlando. He is a young player with tremendous upside, and we’re very excited to continue his development here in Central Florida,” Orlando City SC Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “Heine adds another element of creativity, vision and depth to our midfield, coming in at an important time as we push for another appearance in the postseason. We look forward to seeing him in purple soon.”
The 20-year-old native of Gjemnes, Norway, made his debut at age 17 with Kristiansund during the 2020-2021 Eliteserien season. Bruseth has made 37 appearances with Kristiansund, scoring two goals and adding two assists. He graduated to the first team after developing in the Kristiansund academy. Bruseth also played eight matches on loan with Levanger FK in 2022, registering one assist.
Internationally, Bruseth has appeared for Norway’s national team at the U-19, U-20, and U-21 levels.
What It Means for Orlando City
Central midfield wasn’t an area of need for the Lions, with Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena locking down starting spots in Oscar Pareja’s 4-2-3-1 and Jeorgio Kocevski and Felipe on the bench. However, young talent is young talent. This move could allow the Lions to develop Bruseth without having to rush him onto the pitch and provide flexibility if clubs are calling Orlando City about Araujo and/or Cartagena.
The signing may impact Kocevski’s minutes and the few that have been given to Felipe as well. It seems to be a signing geared more toward the future than helping with the present, although it’s never bad to have depth for the stretch run.
Bruseth will occupy an international slot but that’s no issue since the Lions already had an open slot (per MLS) prior to Ramiro Enrique receiving his green card. He will wear jersey No. 18.