Category: Americans Abroad

U.S. youth international Banks, 17, signs first pro deal with Augsburg

One of the USMNT’s top prospects could make his Bundesliga debut this season

FC Augsburg has announced it has signed defender Noahkai Banks to his first professional contract.

The 17-year-old has signed a three-year deal through 2027, with the option of a further two years.

The German-born defender has represented the U.S. at various youth levels, and made the jump to the U-19 side in the March international window.

Banks is considered one of the top defensive prospects in the American player pool, and could now make his Bundesliga debut in the upcoming season.

“Noahkai is a very talented central defender who we believe can make the jump to the Bundesliga. Last season in particular showed that he can adapt quickly to the next higher category and, thanks to his performances in the U-23s, has earned this step into the professional team squad,” said Augsburg sporting director Marinko Jurendic in a club release.

Banks profiles as a potentially elite center back prospect, with a 6-foot-3 frame and excellent ability on the ball.

Augsburg added that Banks would not participate in this month’s U-20 Concacaf Championship, which will serve as a qualifying tournament for the U-20 World Cup.

The teenager will instead prepare for the upcoming Bundesliga season with Augsburg’s first team, and will travel with the team to a training camp in South Africa.

“I am delighted that I have been given the chance to make it through to the pros. A childhood dream has come true for me and I will do everything I can to be able to play for FCA in the Bundesliga in the future,” added Banks, who has been in Augsburg’s academy for nearly a decade.

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Nottingham Forest signs goalkeeper Miguel, putting Turner on notice

Could the USMNT goalkeeper’s time at Forest end after just a year?

Nottingham Forest has signed goalkeeper Carlos Miguel from Corinthians, putting Matt Turner’s future with the club into further doubt.

Miguel, 25, has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League club after building a reputation as one of the top goalkeepers in Brazil.

The 6-foot-8 goalkeeper’s arrival creates a logjam at the position, with Forest likely to offload at least one player before the season begins.

Turner may be one of those players sold, with the U.S. national team starter now seemingly in a fight just to retain his position as a backup.

The 30-year-old joined Forest last summer in a £10 million move from Arsenal. After a promising start to his time at the City Ground, Turner would eventually lose his starting position due to a series of high-profile errors.

Forest signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg in February, relegating Turner to a spot on the bench for the remainder of the Premier League season.

After he was benched a second time, Turner admitted that he may ultimately have to “move backwards” if things didn’t work out for him at Forest.

Recent reports have indicated that Forest is willing to listen to offers for Turner, as well as fellow goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

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U.S. youth star Campbell, 18, signs pro deal with Borussia Dortmund

The forward has signed his first pro deal with the Bundesliga powerhouse

Borussia Dortmund has signed U.S. under-19 forward Cole Campbell to a professional contract, the Bundesliga club announced on Tuesday.

The deal is a significant milestone for the 18-year-old, who joined Dortmund in 2022 and has starred for the club’s youth teams in the subsequent two seasons.

Campbell has scored 18 goals and provided 19 assists in 52 games for Dortmund’s U-17 and U-19 teams.

“Cole is a difference maker in our U-19 team,” Dortmund CEO Lars Ricken said in a club release.

“His speed, his dribbling, his finishing and his mentality are qualities that make him special. We want to further promote his development, introduce him to the professional team and let him start with the professionals in preparation.”

Campbell was born in the United States to an Icelandic-American mother and American father. He represented Iceland at the U-17 level before filing a one-time switch with FIFA in March to play for the United States.

“Cole is a very young and extremely exciting player who has made a huge step forward with us in the past year. We see a lot of potential in him and are happy that we will take the next steps together,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Campbell will join Gio Reyna as American players in Dortmund’s senior setup, though Reyna’s long-term future with the club is currently unclear.

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Dest completes PSV move after all, leaving Barcelona on free transfer

Dest’s much-wanted move just required a little patience, as the USMNT defender joins PSV on a four-year deal

Sergiño Dest and PSV just learned about the values of patience.

The U.S. men’s national team fullback has joined the Dutch champions on a free transfer, with Barcelona letting the 23-year-old walk now rather than letting him leave as a free agent next year.

Barça will, however, receive an unspecified percentage of any transfer fee PSV might get for Dest — who signed a four-year deal on Saturday — down the road.

“To start with, PSV believes in me and I am greatly appreciated here,” said Dest in a club release announcing the deal. “I have come to know the club as incredibly warm, like I have never experienced anywhere else. These are important aspects for someone in my situation and give me confidence that I can rehabilitate well here.”

Dest tore his ACL in late April while on loan with PSV, with the injury initially appearing to complicate plans to sign him. The club was said to have a €10 million transfer clause in Dest’s loan contract, but — likely over the fact that he’d be out for the first half of this coming season — reportedly told Barcelona that the price was too high.

Nonetheless, PSV managed to complete a deal with Barça that will get the USMNT right back into a good club situation going forward.

“We had a good discussion about it internally, but Sergiño convinced us so much last season that we absolutely did not want to pass up the opportunity to take over from him permanently,” said PSV director of football Earnie Stewart. “He has so many qualities. The new situation does not change that.”

Dest played in 37 competitive matches for PSV, helping the club win its 25th Eredivisie title and advance to the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in nine years.

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Report: Borussia Dortmund decides to sell Gio Reyna

The USMNT midfielder’s time at Dortmund may be up

Gio Reyna’s time may be up for good at Borussia Dortmund.

According to a report from Bild, the Bundesliga side has decided to sell the U.S. national team midfielder this summer.

Dortmund’s call comes on the heels of a 2023-24 campaign in which the 21-year-old hardly saw the field. Reyna featured sporadically at Dortmund in the first half of the season before a disappointing half-season loan at Nottingham Forest.

Reyna looked like a future superstar early in his Dortmund career, but injuries and a lack of consistent starting opportunities derailed his progress at the Bundesliga power.

For his part, Reyna told The Athletic this month that he was unsure if he would stay at Dortmund in the upcoming season or look for a new club once again.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “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 struggled for playing time under Edin Terzić, but the manager stepped down earlier this month in a move that appeared to boost Reyna’s chances at Dortmund.

Nuri Şahin, who was an assistant under Terzić, has assumed Dortmund’s head coaching position.

Prior to joining Forest on loan, Reyna signed a contract extension with Dortmund through 2026.

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Source: FC Cincinnati makes bid for USMNT star McKennie

Could the USMNT star be heading back to his home country?

U.S. men’s national team midfielder Weston McKennie will have several options if leaves Juventus this summer, and they won’t all be from Europe.

A source tells Pro Soccer Wire that FC Cincinnati has made a bid for McKennie, with the MLS side willing to go as high as $15 million in an effort to secure the USMNT mainstay as a Designated Player.

FCC is understood to be one of several MLS sides interested in McKennie, who is set to enter the final season of his contract with Juventus.

Talks between McKennie and Juventus over an extension have reportedly hit a dead end, and the Bianconeri now appear to be open to selling the Texan this summer rather than lose him for free in 2025.

McKennie was recently rumored to be nearing a move to Aston Villa as part of a swap deal, but that transfer now appears to be off due to McKennie’s failure to reach an agreement with the Premier League side.

This past season for Juventus, McKennie played in 38 matches across all competitions and amassed nearly 3,000 minutes of playing time, recording a career-best tally of 10 assists.

FC Cincinnati is currently second in the MLS table but leads the league in points per game. The Ohio side sees McKennie’s possible addition as a major boost for its aim to win both MLS Cup and the Concacaf Champions Cup.

McKennie came up through the FC Dallas academy, but has never actually played in MLS. As an 18-year-old, the midfielder turned down a homegrown contract offer from FCD in favor of a move to German side Schalke.

Pro Soccer Wire has reached out to FCC for comment, and this article will be updated if there is a response.

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Juventus really wanted Weston McKennie gone last summer. History may be repeating itself.

The USMNT midfielder was forced to change with academy players, among other indignities

Weston McKennie has opened up on his outcast status at Juventus last summer, revealing details on how the club ostracized him following his return from his loan at Leeds.

The U.S. national team midfielder had a rough spell at Elland Road in the second half of the 2022-23 campaign, returning to Turin last summer as an outcast.

Though Juventus initially wanted to offload McKennie, the midfielder instead worked his way back into now-former manager Max Allegri’s plans and became an ever-present for the Bianconeri in the 2023-24 campaign.

In an interview with The Athletic, McKennie said he couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the treatment from Juventus last summer.

“I knew it was going to be (challenging). I didn’t know it was going to be to that extent; where I didn’t have my locker, I didn’t have a room in the hotel, I didn’t have a parking space,” McKennie said, echoing comments from his USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter in March.

“I changed in the locker rooms with the academy kids, even when you had players in the main locker room who had never played a game for Juventus because they’d always been out on loan. And I’m thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I’ve only been gone for six months. I come back and I am treated like this.’

“I couldn’t even get my shirt number (14), even though nobody else had taken the number. I was like, ‘OK you guys want to treat me like this? I’m just going to show you on the field.'”

Motta prepared to sell McKennie

Though McKennie proved to be one of Juve’s most effective players last season, it appears the club is once again prepared to offload him this summer.

The 25-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the upcoming season, with talks over an extension seemingly at a dead end. McKennie was rumored to be nearing a move to Aston Villa as part of a swap deal, but that transfer now appears to be off due to McKennie’s failure to reach an agreement with the Premier League side.

That leaves McKennie in a difficult spot at Juve, whose new manager Thiago Motta has reportedly decided the American isn’t in his plans.

Tuttosport claims Motta is entering his first season in charge without McKennie in mind, which could mean the midfielder will be heading for another new club — whether it’s Villa or not.

At least for McKennie, being forced to prove himself all over again would be nothing new.

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Turner exit talk grows as Nottingham Forest nears another goalkeeper signing

The USMNT starter’s time at the City Ground could already be over

Could Matt Turner’s time at Nottingham Forest be over after just one season?

That appears to be increasingly likely, with reports stating the U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper is set to be offloaded as the club nears yet another new goalkeeper signing.

Both Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic have reported that Forest is closing in on a deal for Corinthians goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, with the Premier League side having made a bid equalling his €4 million release clause.

As the 25-year-old Brazilian nears an arrival, The Athletic said Forest is willing to listen to offers for Turner and fellow goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Alan Nixon from The Sun added that Forest is willing to sell Turner before the season starts, with multiple clubs in Europe interested in the 29-year-old.

If Turner moves on, it would represent a third club in three seasons for the New Jersey native. Turner spent just one season with Arsenal after joining from the New England Revolution in the summer of 2022.

Turner moved to Forest last summer in a £10 million move and after a promising start, the American’s time at the City Ground was blighted by a series of high-profile errors.

The shot-stopper was benched not once, but twice, with the second time seeing him lose his spot for good as Forest signed Matz Sels from Strasbourg in February.

After he was benched a second time, Turner admitted that he may ultimately have to “move backwards” if things didn’t work out for him at Forest.

Despite a tough club season, Turner is still set to be the USMNT’s starter at the Copa América, which will begin on Sunday with a match against Bolivia.

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USMNT Olympic prospect Tessmann reportedly close to Inter transfer

Tessmann could be on the brink of a huge transfer, with the Serie A champions talking to Venezia about a move

U.S. Olympic hopeful Tanner Tessmann may be on the brink of a massive summer transfer.

Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Serie A champions Inter have started transfer talks with Venezia over the 22-year-old.

Tessmann was virtually ever-present for the Venice-based club as it clinched promotion from Serie B this season, playing alongside fellow U.S. under-23 midfielder Gianluca Busio.

The Texas native scored seven times for Venezia, including a spectacular long-range strike against Palermo during the promotion playoffs.

Per the report, Inter and Venezia met on Wednesday, with discussions moving towards the Nerazzuri acquiring Tessmann and then loaning him back to the Venetians for the 2024-25 season.

Tessmann’s performance didn’t just catch Inter’s eye. Rumors have connected Bologna and Torino to interest in signing the box-to-box midfielder, while Venezia was said to be ready to offer a contract extension.

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Brenden Aaronson confirms Leeds return: ‘I had unfinished business’

Aaronson says he’s heading back to Leeds after encouraging discussions with manager Daniel Farke

Brenden Aaronson removed any doubt about his future on Thursday, confirming that he would be returning to Leeds United after all.

In an interview with The Athletic, the U.S men’s national team midfielder said he had “unfinished business at Leeds,” and would return to the club for the upcoming season in the Championship.

Aaronson spent 2023-24 on loan in the Bundesliga with Union Berlin, but referred to a Leeds return as “a pretty easy decision” in the end.

“I know how big the club is, how much it means to people in the city,” added Aaronson. “Coming back, I’m going to do the best I can. All I want to do is bring Leeds back to the Premier League. I can’t wait to play at Elland Road in front of our fans again.”

Aaronson encouraged by Farke talks

In a press conference two weeks ago, Aaronson told reporters his focus would be strictly on the USMNT, but with a break between camps, that appears to have changed things.

Aaronson was sent on loan to Union not that long after Leeds suffered relegation in the 2022-23 season. Like the Berlin club — who struggled badly before recovering to preserve its place in the top flight down the stretch — the 23-year-old had a tough go of things at first, consistently making late-game cameos off the bench but rarely getting more time.

However, by season’s end Aaronson was a regular for Union, playing 45 or more minutes in each of the club’s final nine games of the campaign. In May, the German side ultimately confirmed that it would not pursue a permanent deal for the versatile midfielder.

In his prior season with Leeds, Aaronson amassed over 2,500 minutes played, though his place in the side eventually became less clear as a series of coaching changes didn’t pan out.

Current Leeds boss Daniel Farke, per Aaronson, reassured him about his place in the club’s plans.

“It was an awesome conversation,” said Aaronson. “The role he sees me playing, the games he watched of me, how I fit into the team, and, importantly, the things I can get better at.”

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