It is common for young, talented American players to leave Major League Soccer to try their hand at clubs across Europe.
But this is the transfer window that suggests this may not always be the case.
The clock is ticking until the MLS transfer deadline on Wednesday evening (23:59 CT, 00:59 ET on Thursday, 05:59 BST on Thursday) – the last time clubs in the US top league can sign players before the current season ends – The athlete investigates which American players might be going home.
The biggest name linked with a return is USMNT star Weston McKenniewhose future at the club has been uncertain for the second summer in a row.
McKennie, whose contract with Juventus in Italy is the final 12 months, finds himself in a similar position to this time last year, with the background music loudly proclaiming that he is surplus to requirements and that the Turin giants are ready to let him go.
Twelve months ago he was rejected and left out of the squad for Juventus’ summer tour of the USA, but his response has been impressive. He has doubled down on his hard work in pre-season and taken advantage of the limited options in Juventus’ midfield (a seven-month betting ban for Nicolo Fagioli in October and a long-term doping ban for Paul Pogba in February) to play a key role in the 2023/24 season.
The 25-year-old made 34 appearances in Serie A and scored seven goals. Juventus finished third and qualified for next season’s Champions League.
However, the head coach he managed to recruit, Max Allegri, has now left the team and new Juventus boss Thiago Motta is trying to sign reinforcements for his midfield. It is also significant that McKennie does not have a new contract.
This led to links with another major Italian club, Fiorentina, and ambitious Premier League side Aston Villa, but a transfer to Florence or the West Midlands did not materialise.
Weston McKennie is set to begin the Serie A season in Italy when Juventus face Como on Monday (Diego Puletto/Juventus/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
Instead, the latest rumors point to the MLS and Inter Miami – an interesting prospect that would see McKennie team up with Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
So will the Texan soon be playing in such an outstanding midfield? The answer is: It’s unlikely.
Exploratory talks with the Eastern Conference leaders were held last month but failed to reach an agreement. Unless McKennie changes his mind at the last minute, he appears to want to stay in Europe and sign with a club willing to meet his personal terms, which include higher wages, partly due to a lower transfer fee that any suitor would have to pay Juventus due to their contractual situation.
The other high-ranking USMNT international who has been courted by MLS clubs and would be more interested in returning home ahead of a big time for US soccer is Josh Sargent.
St. Louis SC and FC Cincinnati have shown interest in the 24-year-old, who appeared as a substitute in two of his country’s Copa America matches this summer.
Sargent scored 16 goals for Norwich City in the English second division last season, helping them to the promotion play-offs despite an injury-hit campaign. He has also been linked with Premier League side Bournemouth, who have just sold their top striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur.
But while Cincinnati’s hopes have faded, the chances of St. Louis bringing back its former academy star have increased in recent weeks, with Norwich willing to sanction the departure of a player they signed from German club Werder Bremen for around £8 million ($10.2 million) in 2021 if the transfer fee was above £20 million.
However, an initial bid fell short of Norwich’s asking price and although St. Louis continues to show great interest, a breakthrough has not yet been achieved.
Sargent in action against Oxford United on Saturday (Robbie Stephenson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Sargent started Norwich’s first game of the Championship season on Saturday (a 2-0 away defeat to Oxford United), but was in an unused place for their second game on Tuesday, a 4-3 Carabao Cup win over third division Stevenage.
As the clock counts down in St. Louis, Sargent’s birthplace, it remains to be seen whether the club can close a deal with a player who would likely receive a significant raise in a transfer.
Another US international who would like to return home was right-back Reggie CannonThe 26-year-old full-back played 21 times for London club Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship last season and was recently involved in a contract dispute with his former employers, Portuguese club Boavista.
Like Cannon, another former FC Dallas player could also move, the 23-year-old midfielder Thomas RobertsHe joined Norwegian club Stabaek, coached by former USMNT boss Bob Bradley, from Columbus Crew in March and has made 18 appearances for the Oslo side so far in the April-November season. However, the player, who has made three appearances for the U20s, was of interest to several MLS teams over the summer.
However, there might be a player going in the opposite direction.
Duncan McGuireThe Orlando City striker, who captained the national team at the recent Olympic Games in France, is still open to a move to Europe after his transfer to Blackburn Rovers of the Championship fell through at the last minute in February. Czech Premier League club Sparta Prague are now interested. The 23-year-old is not averse to signing a new deal with Orlando, who are seventh in the Eastern Conference, but his current contract expires in December and a positive solution to extend his deal is not yet in sight.
Wednesday could mark an exciting end to the transfer window for established transfer norms between clubs in the US and Europe, but those in charge in America must act quickly now to make sure something happens before the deadline.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
