Category: Transfers

Reports: Chelsea casts Adams aside amid Caicedo pursuit 

It appears USMNT captain won’t be heading to Stamford Bridge after all

Tyler Adams isn’t going to be joining Chelsea after all.

Widespread reports on Thursday said that Chelsea would be activating a $25.5 million clause in Adams’ contract to bring the U.S. men’s national team captain in from Leeds.

But the following day, Sky Sports News reported that the deal was off at the last minute, with other outlets subsequently confirming the news.

The 24-year-old had already traveled to London and completed a medical but by Friday afternoon, he was on his way back to Leeds.

The issue, it seems, stems from the seemingly never-ending saga of Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo, who has been involved in a tug-of-war between Chelsea and Liverpool for his signature.

Liverpool looked to have won the race, with manager Jurgen Klopp even confirming on Friday that an agreement between the two clubs had been reached for the Ecuador midfielder.

Typically if a manager is ready to publicly confirm that a deal has been struck, that’s just about the end of the story. But this soap opera appears to have a few more twists — and Adams looks like he’ll be collateral damage.

The Guardian said that even after Liverpool saw a $140 million offer accepted by Brighton, Chelsea was still trying to hijack the move at the last minute by bidding even more. That, in turn, has seen the Blues turn their focus away from Adams.

Where that leaves the USMNT captain now is unclear.

Adams has been subject to plenty of Premier League interest following Leeds’ relegation last season, and he still has almost three weeks to find a new club before the transfer window closes.

If Adams does find a transfer, he’ll join his new club not fully fit. Sidelined since March with a hamstring injury, Leeds head coach Daniel Farke said last month he didn’t expect the midfielder back until after the September international break.

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USMNT playmaker Malik Tillman joins PSV on one-year loan

The USMNT man is PSV’s newest No. 10

Malik Tillman saw the other U.S. men’s national team players pairing up in Europe, and couldn’t be left out of the mix.

PSV announced Thursday that the USMNT playmaker will join the club on a one-year loan, with the Dutch side holding a purchase clause to make the 21-year-old’s move from Bayern Munich permanent.

Tillman’s move to Eindhoven will see him partner up with U.S. striker Ricardo Pepi, who signed a five-year deal with PSV in July.

“We were looking for a player with scoring ability and who can also act in small spaces,” PSV director of football Earnie Stewart, who used to hold the equivalent role with U.S. Soccer, said in a club announcement. “He is used to a high level, so I am confident that he can adapt quickly.”

“I have a good relationship with Stewart, and [manager] Peter Bosz was also an important reason for me to come to Eindhoven,” added Tillman. “I like his playing style: a lot of attacking, not giving the opponent space, that suits me. My former teammate Mathijs de Ligt also praised [Bosz] and PSV. I find great conditions here in a beautiful city.”

PSV noted that Tillman will get the No. 10 shirt, an indicator that he is expected to be central to the club’s hopes in the Eredivisie this season.

Tillman may find himself back in the Champions League as well, as PSV thumped Sturm Graz 4-1 in the first leg of a third qualifying round tie. Should PSV get the job done in next week’s second leg, Tillman could find himself suiting up against some familiar faces later this month. PSV’s opponent in a final playoff to get to the group stage would be either Rangers (where the USMNT midfielder spent the 2022-23 season) or Swiss side Servette.

At Ibrox, Tillman made the PFA Scottish Premiership’s Team of the Season, scoring 10 goals in the process. One of those goals, at this very stage of the Champions League qualifying process, went on to inspire fans to try to mimic the soaring header that took Rangers past Union-Saint Gilloise in dramatic fashion.

Tillman and Pepi are the latest USMNT duo to form at a European club. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson have been at Fulham for multiple seasons, while Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah have both moved to AC Milan this summer. Tim Weah signed with Juventus, where Weston McKennie appears set to stay after being heavily linked to an exit. Brenden Aaronson, meanwhile, moved on loan to Union Berlin, where he’ll play alongside Jordan Pefok.

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Chelsea reportedly on brink of $25.5m Tyler Adams transfer

Adams could be back in the Premier League any day now

Tyler Adams is close to remaining in the Premier League after all.

Reports from Sky Sports, Fabrizio Romano, and ESPN all claim that Chelsea will meet a $25.5 million clause in Adams’ contract with Leeds to bring the 24-year-old to London.

The reports all say that Adams will undergo a medical exam Thursday, with at least some hope that the Blues could have the U.S. men’s national team captain registered in time to face Liverpool on Sunday.

Adams is said to have a relegation release clause in his contract with Leeds, and had been previously linked to interest from Aston Villa and Brighton. If Chelsea can meet the price and Adams wants to make the move, there is little Leeds can do to keep one of its best players.

Still, Adams making the move is not 100% straightforward. His Chelsea medical will surely focus on a hamstring injury he suffered in March, keeping Adams out for the remainder of Leeds’ unsuccessful battle against the drop. His current club manager Daniel Farke said in July that he didn’t expect Adams — who at one point underwent a “non-invasive” surgery to address the issue — to be fit to return until after the September international break.

Adams could claim big role at Chelsea

Last season, a move to Chelsea was the kind of thing one would recommend people avoid. A chaotic season saw four different coaches come and go amid a “buy every player” transfer policy under the new ownership group lead by American businessman Todd Boehly. There’s no other way to put it other than to say it was a mess.

However, this offseason has seen the Blues address those problems to some degree. Mauricio Pochettino has taken over after Frank Lampard’s abysmal spell as interim manager, and plenty of players (including Adams’ USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic) have left, bringing Chelsea’s squad size closer to what someone could call “normal” with a straight face.

Those exits have opened the door to a need in central midfield. N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have both left Stamford Bridge, while Denis Zakaria has returned to Juventus after spending a season on loan with Chelsea.

That leaves a fairly thin group of defensive midfielders. Pochettino has largely played a 4-2-3-1 formation, meaning a player like Adams could see plenty of time.

Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher would seem to be his main competition, though the club did spend around $29.7 million to sign another holding midfielder, Lesley Oguchukwu, from Rennes earlier this month. 19-year-old Brazilian Andrey Santos is also back in the fold after spending a year on loan with Vasco da Gama.

That said, Chelsea may not be done spending at this position, because they’re Chelsea. The Blues have been strongly linked to Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, though that deal hinges on both meeting a $126.7 million valuation for the Ecuador midfielder and also, per Sky Sports, fending off interest from Liverpool.

The Athletic has also reported that Chelsea made a $60.9 million offer to Southampton for Roméo Lavia, another central midfielder that the Blues and Liverpool both have hopes of signing.

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USMNT goalkeeper Slonina joins KAS Eupen on loan from Chelsea

The 19-year-old will spend the 2023-24 season on loan in Belgium

Chelsea and U.S. national team goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has completed a season-long loan to Belgian side KAS Eupen.

Slonina, 19, is looking to earn his first taste of senior minutes in Europe, having initially signed for Chelsea last August from the Chicago Fire in a reported $10 million deal.

After finishing the 2022 MLS season with the Fire, Slonina moved to London in January and made eight starts for Chelsea’s U-21 side.

The teenager is highly rated at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino saying last week the American could become one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“It is a unique opportunity for KAS Eupen to sign a goalkeeper with the talent and class of Gabriel Slonina for a season,” said the Belgian club’s general director Christoph Henkel.

“After all, some top European clubs were also interested in his commitment before he moved to Chelsea. We look forward to working with Gabriel Slonina and are confident that he will bring strength to our team and help us achieve this season’s goals.”

Slonina went on Chelsea’s preseason tour of the U.S. this summer, and made his senior debut for the club against Fulham at FedEx Field on July 30.

The teenager also made his senior international debut this year, becoming the youngest USMNT goalkeeper ever when he started a January friendly against Serbia.

Eupen has already started the 2023-24 season in the Belgian Pro League, winning one and drawing one from its first two matches.

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Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest seems perfect, except for one minor thing

Turner needed to escape Arsenal to get minutes, but nothing will be guaranteed at Forest

Matt Turner’s time at Arsenal is over after just one year, with the U.S. national team goalkeeper completing a transfer to Nottingham Forest reportedly worth up to £10 million.

Turner has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League side.

“When I heard that there was interest to bring me here, it just felt right for my family, it felt right when my agent spoke to me about it and it feels like the right move for me right now,” the 29-year-old told the club’s website.

For Turner, getting out of Arsenal was a must if he wanted any semblance of playing time this season. His debut season in north London saw him make just seven appearances, five of which came in the Europa League. With the Gunners in the Champions League this season, Turner’s minutes were likely to be reduced even more.

At Forest, Turner will undoubtedly have a clearer path to playing time than he did at Arsenal. But he may not have an unchallenged starting spot waiting for him either.

Multiple reports have said that irrespective of Turner’s arrival, Forest is still pursuing a move for Manchester United’s Dean Henderson.

That could be bad news for Turner, as Henderson impressed with Forest last season on loan before an injury cut his season short. Steve Cooper’s side may have to pay even more than it did for Turner to secure Henderson on a permanent basis.

If Henderson does arrive, it appears he and Turner will be in a battle for the starting role. That’s certainly an improvement over last season, when Turner was the unquestioned backup to Aaron Ramsdale, but it also means he’s not guaranteed to play a whole lot more at his new club than he did with Arsenal.

Another strange wrinkle to this deal is the presence of Turner’s USMNT teammate Ethan Horvath at Forest. After helping Luton Town to promotion last season, the newly minted Premier League club turned down the chance to sign Horvath permanently. Turner’s arrival at Forest will now help push Horvath even closer to the exit door.

For Turner, Horvath and any other goalkeeper who wishes to start for the USMNT (ahem, Zack Steffen), minutes are a must. Turner has made a positive step in that direction, but he’ll still have to earn his place as a Premier League starter.

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Inter sporting director confirms interest in Balogun

Arsenal reportedly values Balogun at around €58 million

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has confirmed his club is interested in Folarin Balogun, adding that the Arsenal man isn’t the only striker on the club’s list.

“We are looking for someone who can score goals,” Ausilio told Sport Mediaset on Tuesday.

When asked about Balogun, Ausilio replied: “He is one of the opportunities, but not the only one we are tracking.”

One name Ausilio was ready to rule out is Romelu Lukaku, who played for Inter last season on loan from Chelsea. Inter was reportedly interested in bringing Lukaku back this season but ended its pursuit upon learning he had been in talks with rival Juventus.

“I’m not interested,” Ausilio said when quizzed on the Belgian.

Inter has been widely reported to have an interest in U.S. national team striker Balogun, who scored 21 Ligue 1 goals on loan at Reims last season.

Monaco is aiming to bring Balogun back to Ligue 1 this season, with Arsenal turning down a bid from the principality side this week, according to ESPN. The Gunners reportedly value Balogun at around €58 million.

Balogun has said if he leaves Arsenal, he would prefer a permanent move ahead of another loan. Despite his standout loan campaign last season, the 22-year-old appears to be behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah on the club’s striker depth chart.

The striker was not in the squad for Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City as he continues to battle a foot injury.

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Wrexham signed a player too good for League Two, because they’re Wrexham

The Wrexham effect is a real

Typically, when someone is named their club’s player of the season, the next logical step would not be a transfer to a team two divisions down the ladder.

But when that team is Wrexham, anything is possible.

On Friday, Wrexham announced the signing of veteran midfielder James McClean — who, as mentioned, is coming off a season in which he was named Wigan Athletic’s player of the year.

McClean, 34, is also still an active international for Republic of Ireland, having earned his 100th cap over the summer.

After impressing in the Championship (it should be noted that Wigan was relegated last year), McClean is moving to League Two with Wrexham after the club won promotion from the National League last term.

Wrexham, of course, has gained global notoriety after actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the team in 2021 and made it the protagonist of the popular docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”

In an interview with Wrexham’s YouTube channel, McClean said the club’s growing profile was a major factor in his move.

“With everything surrounding this club at the moment, it’s a project that’s very exciting,” the longtime Premier League player said.

“The hype and excitement is clearly more now that the club’s back in the Football League. And I’m sure there’s ambitions here to go even further than this league. I’m a very passionate person, someone who’s very driven. And I want that as well. I want to be part of that and that’s obviously one of the main reasons for coming here.”

He added: “It’s a great story. … There’s just so much positivity that surrounds the club at the moment and it’s obviously a great thing. Like I said, the ambition is not to just stop here, but to keep going. And that’s obviously an exciting thing to be a part of.”

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(US)AC Milan’s American collection grows with Musah signing

Musah joins Christian Pulisic at the San Siro

Yunus Musah has joined his international teammate Christian Pulisic at AC Milan, completing a reported €20 million transfer from Valencia.

Musah has signed a five-year contract at the Serie A club and will wear the No. 80 — reportedly a tribute to Brazil legend Ronaldinho, who wore the same number during his time with the Rossoneri.

The midfielder makes the move after spending four years at Valencia, where he became a regular starter for the club over the past two seasons.

The 20-year-old was widely expected to leave the La Liga side after the 2022-23 season, with interest from clubs around Europe, including the Premier League.

But Milan has won the race for Musah’s signature and the New York-born midfielder will reunite with Pulisic, who joined from from Chelsea in a €22 million transfer last month.

The move also establishes a rivalry between American teammates at two of Italy’s giants, with Tim Weah and Weston McKennie joining forces at Juventus this season.

Musah lived in Italy for several years during his childhood before moving to London at age nine. He came up through the Arsenal academy before transferring to Valencia in 2019.

At international level, the versatile midfielder was eligible for several teams, including the USA, Italy, Ghana and England, but he picked the U.S. in 2021. He’s gone on to earn 27 caps for the USMNT, starting all four of its World Cup games in Qatar last year.

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USWNT hopeful Mia Fishel joins Chelsea from Tigres

The 22-year-old joins on a reported transfer fee of $250,000

Mia Fishel has completed a transfer from Tigres to Chelsea as she aims to become part of the U.S. women’s national team over the next World Cup cycle.

The 22-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the Blues, with The Equalizer reporting that Chelsea paid a transfer fee of $250,000.

After being drafted fifth overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride, Fishel opted to begin her pro career in Mexico with Tigres, where she found the back of the net with regularity.

Fishel scored 33 goals for Tigres in 2022, claiming the 2022 Apertura Golden Boot by scoring 17 times in 17 games.

“I want to become the best soccer player here,” Fishel told Chelsea’s website. “Growing up, this was the team that made me who I want to be. The competitiveness, the wanting to win, I want to be part of this history.

“I want to win titles, I want to win championships, I want to play in the Champions League and dominate. My ambition, just like this club, is to be the best.”

Despite Fishel’s success in Mexico and with U.S. youth national teams, she has yet to make her senior USWNT debut and has only been called up once — in 2020, when she was still at UCLA.

After excluding Fishel from his January roster this year, Vlatko Andonovski said that other players were simply ahead of her in his eyes, adding that playing in Mexico wasn’t harming her chances of a call-up.

“We analyze every goal that she scores, and analyze the difficulties of the goals, and compare to the players that we called up, and try to see how they would fit or how they would replicate [those goals] on the team that we have,” said Andonovski. “For Mia in particular, the league doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t matter where she plays.”

Fishel is the second American player Chelsea has signed this summer, with Catarina Macario joining on a free transfer from Lyon in June.

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Yunus Musah reportedly near €20 million transfer to AC Milan

U.S. Milan National Team?

Members of the U.S. men’s national team appear to be trying to cluster at European clubs.

The latest potential USMNT fan rooting interest centers on AC Milan, who per reports from The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano are on the verge of bringing Yunus Musah to the San Siro in a €20 million transfer.

Should Musah complete the move from Valencia, he would join U.S. teammate Christian Pulisic, who is already fitting in nicely with the Rossoneri.

Per the reports, Milan and Valencia have already verbally agreed to terms over the 20-year-old’s transfer. Musah has been a hot commodity after Valencia narrowly avoided relegation, with Milan said to have made three offers for the versatile midfielder.

Musah has also been linked to interest from Fulham and West Ham, but the chances of a return to London (where Musah came up through the Arsenal academy) appear to be remote at this point.

Tonali’s departure makes room for Musah

Milan’s pursuit of a big midfield transfer has been ongoing since Newcastle’s pursuit of Sandro Tonali went from interest to inevitable. That’s not necessarily the role Musah has played for Valencia (where he spent much of last season on the right flank), nor is it the No. 8 role he often slots into with the USMNT.

However, while Milan manager Stefano Pioli has not publicly discussed his plans for the USMNT midfielder, it stands to reason that he’s going to be a major part of the club’s plans in multiple formations. Similarly to Pulisic, Musah’s ability to play in multiple positions should make him a frequent starter for a coach that wants to have several tactical options going forward.

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