Last summer was one of major transitions for some of the USMNT’s biggest names.
Christian Pulisic joined AC Milan, as did Yunus Musah. Tim Weah also went to Italy, with Juventus. Tyler Adams eventually signed for Bournemouth, Matt Turner for Nottingham Forest, Sergino Dest to PSV Eindhoven and Folarin Balogun to AS Monaco. Brenden Aaronson swapped Leeds United for Union Berlin.
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That’s as many as seven USMNT first-choice starters who changed clubs.
Although 2024 isn’t looking quite as drastic at the top, several key players in coach Gregg Berhalter’s squad at this summer’s Copa America will find new teams this year. Plenty of younger American players will be moving on as well, looking to break into the first-team rotation.
Here’s a summer window outlook for U.S. players.
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Likely to move
Weston McKennie
Current club: Juventus
It seemed like McKennie would depart Juventus last summer, but he won back a place in the team and went on to have perhaps his best season at the club. Now though, he is in limbo again, with a move once more appearing likely.
Where to? Well, that became less clear over the last week.
McKennie was initially involved in a deal that would have sent him to Aston Villa of the Premier League, a complicated transfer with Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz going the other way, but that broke down. Tottenham Hotspur has reportedly jumped in the race, as well.
Returning to the Premier League makes sense for McKennie, given his physicality, despite how poorly his loan to Leeds United went in 2023. McKennie has 134 appearances for Juventus, helping them win the Coppa Italia twice.
MLS club FC Cincinnati has launched an ambitious chase for the 25-year-old. It’d be an expensive deal between a transfer fee to Juventus and a salary package to entice the USMNT star.
Gio Reyna
Current club: Borussia Dortmund
Reyna’s future is once again a major talking point, following a failed half-season loan to Nottingham Forest of the Premier League.
“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna told The Athletic last week. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.”
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Reyna, 21, played only 231 minutes for Forest over the second half of the season. Between England and Germany, he played less than 600 total minutes across the 2023-24 season. Where to now? Plenty of teams had interest in the winter, from Spain, Italy and elsewhere. Perhaps those clubs will be back in. A strong Copa America would help, as well.
“I’m just looking for the right fit for me, playing at a high level and a club that wants me — where I feel valued,” Reyna said.
Matt Turner
Current club: Nottingham Forest
A fluid situation for Turner at Forest is getting clearer, with the club nearing a deal to sign yet another goalkeeper.
Turner could still try to fight for his place, but another goalkeeper coming in would make that even more difficult and also could put pressure on from the club to sell him.
Turning 30 this week, Turner could find himself at a fourth club in four years. He went from New England to Arsenal in 2022, Arsenal to Forest last summer and now perhaps is in line for another move before the August 30 transfer deadline.
Tim Ream
Current club: Fulham
Ream is in advanced talks over a move to Charlotte FC of MLS, The Athletic reported earlier this month. No deal is yet done, but it remains close.
Ream, 36, joined Fulham from Bolton Wanderers in 2015 and has made 312 appearances during his nine years with the London club. The defender was a regular in the Fulham team during the first half of last season, captaining the side as he started 12 of their first 13 Premier League matches.
Charlotte already has among the best defensive units in MLS this season, with young defenders Adilson Malanda and Andrew Privett leading the way. Ream would likely come in to partner with Malanda if a deal is completed.
John Brooks
Current club: Free agent
Brooks is out of contract this summer and will leave Hoffenheim as a free agent.
The 31-year-old has spent the majority of his career in Germany, with a brief half-season sojourn in Portugal with Benfica in 2022-23, making a stay in the Bundesliga the likeliest outcome.
The center-back hasn’t been with the national team since 2021, making the most recent of his 45 caps in the September of that year.
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Gaga Slonina
Current club: Chelsea
Slonina’s inclusion here is purely developmental, as the young Chelsea goalkeeper (he turned 20 last month) will head out on loan again, having spent last season on loan at KAS Eupen in the top division of Belgian football, suffering relegation. He is likely to feature in the U.S.’s Olympic roster for next month’s tournament in France.
Aidan Morris
Current club: Columbus Crew
Middlesbrough of the Championship, the second tier of English football, has agreed to a deal worth around $4 million to sign Morris from the Columbus Crew, The Athletic reported earlier this month.
That transfer is still all set but it wasn’t going to be finalized until Morris played his final game for the Crew, which came on Saturday.
A special moment for Aidan Morris. 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/R5sFhR0h5t
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 23, 2024
Morris, 22, has made more than 100 appearances for Columbus and won two MLS Cups. The homegrown midfielder has been open about his desire to move to Europe to continue his development.
Middlesbrough finished eighth in the Championship last year.
Tanner Tessmann
Current club: Venezia
Tessmann helped lead Venezia back to Serie A last season and all of the big clubs in Italy have taken notice, which could result in a summer move.
Champions Inter Milan made their interest known, while the likes of Napoli and several other top-half Serie A clubs are also considering a move for the 22-year-old this summer.
Midfielder Tessmann has made 99 appearances with Venezia and just delivered a career year as the club won promotion. A transfer could impact his availability for the Olympics, though.
Bryan Reynolds
Current club: Westerlo
Reynolds is likely to move this summer after 18 months with Belgium’s Westerlo. His move, a loan that led to a permanent deal, was never expected by either side to be a hugely long-term situation, but a situation to help him keep developing after things didn’t work out at Roma in Italy.
Clubs from different leagues have inquired about Reynolds, but no discussions are yet advanced. He is currently expected to be the starting right-back at the Olympics, but Westerlo or a new club could decline the call-up.
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Paxten Aaronson
Current club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Aaronson is finalizing a deal to be loaned to Dutch club Utrecht from Eintracht Frankfurt, The Athletic reported earlier this month.
In conjunction, Frankfurt are extending Aaronson’s contract an extra year as they still see a bright future for the American at the club, sources briefed on the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly on it add.
Aaronson, 20, is currently preparing for the Olympics, having spent the second half of last season on loan in the Netherlands with Vitesse Arnhem. He now returns there with Utrecht.
The attacking midfielder had four goals in 14 appearances with Vitesse, who got relegated after finishing bottom of the top division. Utrecht came seventh last season. Aaronson should get even more attacking chances in an improved team.
Could move
Antonee Robinson
Current club: Fulham
Robinson is a key starter at Fulham and was one of the best left-backs in the Premier League last year. With that sterling form, any club higher up the food chain in England could look to sway Robinson this summer. The 26-year-old has played more than 3,000 minutes in each of the last three Premier League seasons, making him a reliable figure for Fulham on the left flank.
Josh Sargent
Current club: Norwich City
After a career-best season with Norwich where he scored 16 goals in 26 appearances, some interest has swirled in the Premier League. A deal for Sargent wouldn’t be easy as the forward is happy at Norwich and he’ll be central to their push for promotion once again. The club finished sixth and made the Championship’s promotion playoffs last year. Sargent, 24, has 33 goals with Norwich since joining in 2021.
Mark McKenzie
Current club: Genk
Now 25 years old and after a few seasons as a regular with Genk, McKenzie may look to move on for another challenge this summer. McKenzie has made 127 appearances with the Belgian club after beginning his career with the Philadelphia Union. He has 13 caps with the national team.
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Caleb Wiley
Current club: Atlanta United
The 19-year-old Wiley already has more than 100 professional appearances (including 80 with the first team). He is a known commodity abroad but seems to be patiently waiting for the right opportunity to make a move rather than the first one. Wiley could play a key role at the Olympics.
Duncan McGuire
Current club: Orlando City
While Orlando City’s stance is clear in that they don’t want to sell McGuire this summer, their resolve will be tested by bids. Sheffield Wednesday of the Championship are among the clubs pushing, as are a couple from Italy. McGuire is only still with Orlando because of an administrative error made by Blackburn Rovers which scrapped a winter move to that Championship side on deadline day in February. McGuire is Orlando’s leading scorer this season.
(Top photo: Mark Thorstenson/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
