🇺🇸 American Transfer Shakeup: Who's Moving and Who's Staying? ❓

American Transfer Story:

It is that time of year once more. The end of summer means the closing of the transfer window, a process that is simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking for players and fans alike. And this is no different for Americans Abroad, or the supporters back home who pull for them.

This summer certainly won’t hold the same number of big-name USMNT moves that were seen during The Great Summer of ‘23 — we’re old enough to remember when Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, Matt Turner, and Folarin Balogun all switched clubs within a matter of weeks of each other — but there are still some key players who may have new homes in their futures, nonetheless. Here’s the latest …

i. From the Department of Done Deals, Tanner Tessmann’s long-anticipated move to Olympique Lyon has officially been completed, as the 22-year-old godson of Dabo Swinney (no, really) completed the move from Italy to France on Tuesday. Despite becoming the first American men’s player in club history, the French side currently boasts some strong U.S. connections. Gold medal-winning midfielder Lindsey Horan is heading into her fourth season with the French women’s football powerhouse — and even sent Tessmann a welcome Insta after he signed — and the club is owned by American businessman John Textor, who also co-owns Crystal Palace.

(Random note, but did you know Textor was actually a competitive skateboarder who apparently competed against the likes of Bones Brigade members Rodney Mullen and Mike McGill? Here’s recent video of Textor doing a flatland frontside 1080. Champions of Skateboarding Club Owners, You’ll Never Sing That.)

ii. More done deals … Zach Booth joined Excelsior Rotterdam on loan from Leicester City on Wednesday. Booth spent last season with Volendam in the Eredivisie, where he faced off against older brother Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht). 

iii. Bento Estrella has made the move to Sporting Club Portugal from New York Red Bulls. The 18-year-old midfielder from Newark, N.J. has signed with the Portuguese giants through 2027.

iv. On the transfer rumor front, ESPN is reporting that Nottingham Forest have turned down multiple loan offers for Matt Turner, preferring to move the 30-year-old goalkeeper on a permanent deal instead. Definitely one to watch heading into Friday’s deadline.

v. After a 2023-24 campaign filled with uncertainty, it would appear that Gio Reyna is set to remain with Borussia Dortmund to start ‘24-25. Speaking after Dortmund’s 2-0 season-opening win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday — in which the 22-year-old from Bedford, N.Y. was an 81st minute substitute — BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl said there were no transfers being negotiated, and portrayed Reyna’s Dortmund future as a bright one.

🗣️ "There is nothing on the table and I don't hear that the player wants to leave ... It was clear when we had the talks in the summer that Gio wanted to take on this role, that there will be enough games in which we need him. We know that he has incredible abilities. ... Over the summer, Reyna worked on himself, worked on his stability, worked on his charisma. Gio can still be very important for us this season.”

vi. Burnley winger Luca Koleosho is being recruited on both club and country fronts. Wolves are reportedly interested in bringing the 19-year-old winger from Norwalk, Conn. back to the Premier League from Burnley, although the Clarets appear to be in no hurry to sell. The talented, young attacker is also rumored to be in line for his first Italian national team call-up. Biggest blow to American-Italian diplomatic relations since Giuseppe Rossi.

vii. Elsewhere, D.C. United forward Kristian Fletcher has been linked with a loan move to Nottingham Forest, and star USL striker Nick Markanich is close to signing with LaLiga 2 club CD Castellon from Charleston Battery.

Puli! Puli! Speak! Speak!

Christian Pulisic had his first goal of the season in a 2-1 loss at Parma on Saturday. While the close-range strike itself was a bit of a garden-variety conversion by the talented Pennsylvanian’s lofty standards, what is surfacing as an exceptional bit of news is CP11’s progress in mastering the Italian language. Teammate Yunus Musah — who speaks three languages fluently himself — recently vouched for Puli’s “sick” linguistic skills. From The Athletic:

🗣️ “He is actually speaking it a lot lately. Although they may speak to him in English, he answers in Italian. He has learned a lot and the coaches have started speaking to him in Italian. Even though he spent a lot of time in America, he obviously hasn’t forgotten the language. Now I am not even translating anything for him. Nothing.”

It may seem a relatively small thing, but Pulisic learning to speak Italian certainly should go a long way in endearing him with local fans, as well as improve his chances of having a long future with the club. But hopefully this doesn’t mean Italian commentators will stop providing glorious English-language calls of Puli goals.

Medford Mark Viduka Can’t Stop Scoring:

Thomas Wolfe was obviously not a Leeds supporter. Or at the very least, he never attended a match at Elland Road, because if Yorkshire football has proven nothing else, it has shown that You Can Go Home Again. Just ask Brenden Aaronson.

Since signing with the Lilywhites for $30 million in 2022, the USMNT winger has had more ups and downs with Leeds supporters than a game of paddleball on a Sea-Doo. Initially, the American Boy won them over with defensive hustle and big goals. Then after injury problems, he became part of the American problem that was (rightly or wrongly) blamed for the 2022-23 relegation, after which he triggered a relegation clause in his contract in order to head off to Union Berlin on loan for '23-24. But this season the 23-year-old from Medford, N.J. has returned, and has flourished in an attacking role — sometimes even as a 10 — for Daniel Farke’s side.

Aaronson scored his first goal in the season-opener, a dramatic late equalizer that lifted Leeds to a draw. Medford Mark Viduka then followed that up with the winner in Leeds’ 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, a terrific fast-break goal that highlighted his speed, as well as his control in tight spaces.

There’s a lot of season left to go. But being on pace for 30 goals this season is certainly one way for B.A. to win back the hearts of Yorkshire fans. American Boy II: Electric Boogaloo.

News and Notes:

• Antonee Robinson had the match-winning assist in Fulham’s 2-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday. Then he was named to WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Week. All this after speaking to Rog about new USMNT managers, all-time best Jedis, and more (Watch Interview).

• Speaking of USMNT managers, the latest on the Mauricio Pochettino front is that he’s expected to join the U.S. men’s team for their friendly against Canada on Sept. 7 (The Athletic).

• Josh Sargent scored his second goal of the season for Norwich in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on Saturday.

• The Creator in Chief will remain in Turin, as Weston McKennie has signed a new contract that will keep him with Juventus through 2026. 

• Over in Ligue 1 McDonald’s, center-back Mark McKenzie started and played 64 minutes in his first appearance for Toulouse, while Caleb Wiley has now made back-to-back starts for new club Strasbourg, where the 19-year-old left-back is on loan from Chelsea.

• With Tuesday’s 1-0 League Cup-set over Sheffield United, Gaga Slonina is now undefeated through four games between the sticks for Barnsley. The 20-year-old Chelsea loanee had four saves and received an 8.5 Fotmob rating in the victory. One has to wonder how much consideration he’s receiving for a call-up in the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies with Canada (Sept. 7) and New Zealand (Sept. 10).

• Congratulations are in order for Ethan Horvath, after his solid three-save performance in Cardiff’s 1-1 draw with Swansea in Sunday’s Welsh Derby. This came on the heels of a hard-to-watch own goal the 29-year-old gave up in his previous outing, a 5-0 loss at Burnley. Amazing strength in bouncing back so quickly, Ethan.

• Santi Castaneda made his third-straight 2. Bundesliga start for Paderborn 07 on Saturday, in the second-tier side’s 1-1 draw at Greuther Fürth. The 19-year-old midfielder from Tampa, Fla. has helped lead Paderborn to an undefeated start to this season (2W 1D 0L), after helping them earn promotion from 3. Bundesliga in 2023-24.

Parting Shots:

Since signing with PSV in Dec. 2018, Richy Ledezma has had a difficult time finding a consistent role with the current Dutch champions, as the 23-year-old from Phoenix has made just 16 first-team appearances over the last five seasons. It turns out perhaps he may have just been playing out of position. So far this season, Ledezma has started all three matches (all wins) for PSV at right back, where he’s performed very well overall, including a standout performance in the Eindhoven side’s 7-1 win at Almere City on Saturday (a game that saw Malik Tillman score this Bergkamp-esque beauty). Not only has Ledezma emerged as Sergiño Dest’s replacement on club level, but one has to wonder if he’ll get any consideration for a national team call-up while the regular right-back is out injured.

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