Recent high-profile moves — and near moves — for Major League Soccer players are signaling a shift in how the league is perceived on the world stage.

The old stereotype that MLS is a final destination for players on the downside of their careers is fading as more of the league’s stars are getting attention from European clubs and beyond — and moving on.

In the past few days, two of the league’s big names have left for teams abroad: Atlanta United midfielder Miguel Almiron and Toronto forward Sebastian Giovinco.

Those deals follow Bayern Munich’s signing last year of Vancouver winger Alphonso Davies for a then-record transfer fee that could reach $22 million. Columbus goalkeeper Zack Steffen will be headed to Manchester City in July on a deal that could net the Crew $10 million, and former New York Red Bulls defensive midfielder Tyler Adams made his first start with German club RB Leipzig last week after he was dealt in December.

Atlanta United President Darren Eales said the Almiron move to Newcastle United is emblematic of the team’s philosophy of bringing in promising young players and showcasing them.

“I think we can say after this transfer window, if you’re a young player, if you’re a club in MLS trying to attract a player coming up to the prime of his career, you’re able to point to Miguel Almiron or Alphonso Davies, to be able to say, ‘Look, you can come to this league and actually now get noticed and moved on to top clubs and top leagues in the world,’?” Eales said.

Almiron, 24, played in 70 matches across all competitions for Atlanta over the past two seasons, scoring 22 goals with 30 assists. While he moved on, Atlanta recently signed another promising young player in 25-year-old midfielder Pity Martinez, the reigning South American Player of the Year.

“The increase in transfer fees for MLS players is an indication of the quality of our players,” said Todd Durbin, MLS executive vice president for player relations and competition. “Every top league has clubs that sell talented players, and MLS is no different. Importantly, our clubs use the revenue to acquire new players like Pity Martinez, which improves the quality of our teams.”

Davies, who is just 18, became part of the Whitecaps’ residency program in 2015 and made his MLS debut the next year. He is the youngest player ever to play for the senior Canadian national team.

Steffen, 23, was the 2018 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and has been starting for the U.S. national team. Crew technical director Pat Onstad echoed Eales when the deal for Steffen was struck in December.

“We continue to believe that players that come to Crew SC have an opportunity to develop and become great players either here in MLS or abroad,” he said.

Giovinco, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2015, doesn’t quite fit the mold of an emerging player like Almiron, but he was key to Toronto’s rise in recent years and one of the team’s most popular players. After four seasons with the Reds, Giovinco moved to Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal.

There are some pitfalls to being a so-called “seller’s league.” MLS must navigate player development and movement while keeping young players that are the future of the league. Atlanta seems to have struck a balance by re-signing last season’s MVP, Josef Martinez.