It’s been a summer of upheaval for the United States, with manager Gregg Berhalter booted after an embarrassing group-stage exit at the Copa America.
And for many of the side’s star players, there is no solace to be sought at club level from the national team’s troubles. Many find themselves the subject of transfer rumours amid uncertain futures with their respective European clubs.
Here are five USMNT players who need a move this summer:
Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund)
According to reports in Germany, Gio Reyna ‘has no future’ at Borussia Dortmund. Sadly for the once-prodigious playmaker, he has little present or recent past with the club either.
Following a pathway furrowed by international colleague Christian Pulisic, Reyna broke into the first team at Signal Iduna Park as a teenager and appeared to be a midfield prospect of equally high potential. He established himself a as a regular feature of Dortmund’s middle third during the 2020/21 season, scoring four goals and providing five assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances.
But in subsequent campaigns, through injuries and a total loss of form, he fell from favour. The 21-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan with Nottingham Forest, but his Premier League prospects proved no brighter, with just two starts in five months.
Berhalter kept faith in Reyna despite the player’s club-level struggles, handing him a key role in March’s Nations League triumph and starting him in all three of the USMNT’s fixtures at the Copa America. But whoever the States hire to be their next manager might not be so sympathetic if Reyna remains an outcast away from the national team.
“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,” Reyna told The Athletic in June. “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.”
Weston McKennie (Juventus)
Weston McKennie joined Juventus from Schalke in 2020 in what was supposed to be the American midfielder’s big break with one of Europe’s biggest and most storied clubs.
He’d broken through in the Bundesliga after moving to Schalke from FC Dallas as a 16-year-old to earn rave reviews for his indefatigable engine, reliable quality on the ball and competitiveness.
And although his initial impact in Turin was muted and he spent a forgettable loan spell with Leeds over the back end of the 2022/23 campaign, last season seemed to signal the 25-year-old’s breakthrough as a key figure for the Old Lady. He started 29 Serie A games and provided a career-best seven assists.
But this summer McKennie found himself shopped to Aston Villa as a potential makeweight in Juve’s pursuit of Douglas Luiz. And while the Italians ended up landing the Brazilian midfielder without including McKennie in the deal, the USMNT star’s slipping status at the club is evident.
Fiorentina have since emerged as frontrunners for McKennie, but they are said to be unwilling to match Juventus’ €13 million asking price.
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Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest)
When Matt Turner joined Nottingham Forest from Arsenal last summer in a £10million deal after having never played a Premier League match for the Gunners, the American goalkeeper seemed ready to further cement his status as the USMNT’s top choice between the sticks.
But halfway through his maiden campaign at the City Ground, he was dropped in favour of January signing Matz Sels. Without an appearance since February and in light of the arrival this summer of another goalkeeper, Carlos Miguel from Corinthians in Brazil – plus Forest’s rumoured interest in Aaron Ramsey – it looks like there’s no way back to the No.1 spot for the former New England Revolution man.
With rumoured interest from MLS clubs, a Stateside return for the 30-year-old might be required if he is to remain the USMNT’s top shot-stopper, as positional rivals such as Cardiff’s Ethan Horvath and Chelsea youngster Gaga Slonina threaten his place.
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Veteran centre-back Tim Ream is quietly one of the most successful American imports to the Premier League. In nine seasons with Fulham, he has racked up more than 300 appearances while cementing his status as a key figure at the heart of the USMNT defence.
But the 36-year-old fell completely from view at Craven Cottage for much of the second half of last season, making no appearances between February 17 and the final game of the campaign on May 19.
Apparently surplus to requirements now at Fulham, Ream has been linked with a return to MLS. Charlotte FC were reportedly ‘closing in’ on the defender in early June, but no move has materialised as yet.
Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
A £24.7 million signing for Leeds United in the summer of 2022, it’s not so long ago that Brenden Aaronson appeared set to be one of the future superstars of the USMNT. But after playing just four minutes of the fated Copa America campaign, the 24-year-old’s struggles at club level have seen him fall from favour.
The energetic attacking midfielder had impressed with Red Bull Salzburg after joining the Austrian side from Philadelphia Union in January 2021, standing out for his aggressive pressing and improvisational skills in the attacking third.
He didn’t quite hit the heights expected of him at Elland Road, though, with just one Premier League goal from 36 outings, and was loaned to Union Berlin last season. Aaronson got off to a slow start in Germany, going half a season before registering a goal contribution. But his form improved over the latter part of the campaign and he played a key role in helping the club from the capital survive in the top flight.
“I can see myself remaining here,” he told Get German Football News in April. “The club is amazing. It’s not up to me at the end of the day but I have so much respect for Union, the way it has been built, the staff, it’s an amazing family club and they’ve done an amazing job. For me, it’s [about] making the right decision in the summer, evaluating the year and going from there. Staying is an option but I can’t say much more.”
Aaronson didn’t get his wish, however. Union released a statement at the end of the season praising the midfielder’s performances and thanking him for his endeavour while ruling out a permanent switch. So he has returned to Leeds, now in England’s second tier, who are reportedly open to offers in hope that can recoup at least half of what they paid to sign him two years ago.
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