The Rapids have transferred Deshorn Brown, the team’s leading scorer the past two seasons, to Oslo-based club Vålerenga in the Norwegian first division for a sizeable transfer fee — the amount of which was not disclosed.

The Rapids announced the deal on Tuesday.

“You’re never going to have the full deck. You’re always going to be playing with a half deck, so to speak,” Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “Deshorn leaving at this time isn’t ideal … Now we’ve just got to make due with what we have and ask other players to step up and this is why we have a deep team.”

Brown’s agent, Damani Ralph, said he had been searching for a European transfer for his client since last summer.

“We have been actively searching for the last seven months,” Ralph said.

Ralph said Brown had shown the talent and potential to take his game to Europe.

“He’s 24,” Ralph said. “If there was ever a time for him to go to Europe, it was now.”

The Rapids have in the past shown a willingness to facilitate transfers for players wishing to play elsewhere.

“I want to be known as a players’ club,” Mastroeni said.

Vålerenga’s managing director, Stig-Ove Sandnes, was in Commerce City as the deal was being finalized.

“We believe we’ve got a very good fee for him that will allow us to do a lot of good things we want to do in the future that will improve the overall performance of the club,” said Pádraig Smith, the Rapids’ sporting director. “What we will not do is make a short term move which will jeopardize our ability to really follow the process and follow the strategy we’ve put in place for the long-term success of the club.”

Brown is coming off back-to-back 10-goal seasons for the Rapids and was the 2013 Rookie of the Year runner up to teammate Dillon Powers. That mark was just one goal short of the MLS rookie scoring record.

As the sixth overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft from the University of Central Florida, he scored 20 goals in 62 league matches (50 starts) for Colorado. He is expected to replace Vidar Örn Kjartansson as Vålerenga’s goal-scorer.

The move leaves Colorado thin on offense. Rookie Dominique Badji, a 22-year-old Senegalese striker, has been the starting target striker through preseason and in the Rapids’ season opener, a 0-0 draw against Philadelphia Union. He would be a leading candidate to start there.

Colorado also could turn to Panamanian international Gabriel Torres to play the position, or possibly Powers, who saw time there last season. Both have primarily played central attacking midfield this preseason.

The move likely clears the way for a new acquistion. The Rapids have been linked with Republic of Ireland international striker Kevin Doyle for several weeks. Last week, Rapids president Tim Hinchey said talks with Doyle were “progressing.“

“Although we are sad to see him go, this move is an opportunity Deshorn wanted and, on the club side, gives us the flexibility to continue strengthening the squad as we move forward,” Paul Bravo, the Rapids’ vice president of soccer operations and technical director, said in a statement.

Doyle, a target striker, is under contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers of The Championship, the second tier league in England, and might not arrive until June at the earliest, should the deal go through.

Daniel Boniface: 303-954-1104, dboniface@denverpost.com or t witter.com/danielboniface