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.”
Aaronson may have a lot on his plate this summer, but he says he’s fully focused on the USMNT
It will be a busy summer for the U.S. men’s national team, but few players have more on their plate than Brenden Aaronson.
The U.S. men’s national team midfielder had at one point lost his place in Gregg Berhalter’s roster, but is back with the group assembled for friendlies against Colombia (June 8 in Landover, Md.) and Brazil (June 12 in Orlando).
With the Copa América rapidly approaching, it’s a big moment for Aaronson to make sure he seals a place on the USMNT’s final 26-player roster.
However, the New Jersey native has a potentially complicated summer ahead of him in terms of his club situation. Aaronson spent the season on loan with Union Berlin, experiencing the highs and lows of a campaign that ended with a narrow final-day escape from the threat of relegation.
That survival does not appear to mean that Aaronson will be returning to the German capital. The 23-year-old is under contract with Leeds, who missed out on a return to the Premier League after falling to Southampton in the Championship’s promotion playoff final.
Beyond that, clarity will have to wait. For his part, Aaronson said on Friday that the USMNT will get his full focus in the meantime.
“I’m just kind of focused on the national team and having my full responsibility here. I’m not thinking about anything else, and that’s where my headspace is,” Aaronson told reporters. “I really enjoyed the end part of the season with Union, even though it was a bit of a relegation battle towards the end, but I got to play the last 10 games, that was really great for my development and for me.”
Aaronson: End of Union Berlin season ‘crazy’
Aaronson may not be sure where his next step is at the club level, but he did reiterate that that the late-season pressure-cooker with Union Berlin — while stressful — was a boost for his career.
It was also, in his own words, “crazy.” A last-gasp Janik Haberer goal following a saved penalty kick gave Union a 2-1 win over SC Freiburg on the final day of the Bundesliga season. The three points pulled Die Eisernen level with VfL Bochum, with the latter ending up in the playoff thanks to Union’s superior goal difference.
— 1. FC Union Berlin (English) (@fcunion_en) May 19, 2024
“I’m sure a lot of people were paying attention to the table,” said Aaronson, giving his first-hand account of a wild sequence of events. “My parents were telling me that the live updates [had] every team just like, going up and down in moments. It was crazy.”
Aaronson got the assist on Union’s opener on the day, and was substituted in the 80th minute. The USMNT man admitted he let his hopes start to build, only for late drama to see both teams exchange goals.
“When I came off, it was 1-0. And so it was like, I thought it was pretty comfortable in that moment. But then of course, it’s never comfortable,” explained Aaronson with a laugh. “[Freiburg] come down, they score and a lot of emotions came out of me. I don’t know what I was probably saying to the ref.
“But yeah, after that we scored the crazy — you know, [Noah Atubolu] saves the PK, comes right to [Janik Haberer] on top of the box and we score. It was a crazy way to end the season, but it was an amazing way, and it felt really good. It felt like, yeah, just the whole weight off your shoulders.”
The world’s most lucrative match is set for Wembley on Sunday, with a spot in the Premier League on the line
Leeds United and Southampton will take the pitch at Wembley in the EFL Championship promotion playoff final on Sunday.
The winner will claim a place in the Premier League for 2024-25, making this one-off clash a massive game in terms of both prestige for players, and revenue for clubs.
Leeds, buoyed by Crysencio Summerville’s 19 goals, will be looking to bounce straight back up after being relegated at the end of the 2022-23 season. The Whites had spent three seasons in the top flight, and during a 15-game unbeaten that ran from January to April looked at one point like a candidate to finish atop the Championship table.
However, a poor end to the season — including a 2-1 home loss to Southampton — sent Daniel Farke’s side into the playoff places. However, a 4-0 aggregate win over Norwich City in the semifinals may have helped stabilize Leeds just in time.
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Like Leeds, Southampton wants back into the Premier League after one season in the second tier. The Saints recovered from a poor start to the season that at one point included four straight losses to spend much of the last six months in the top four.
A combined 37 goals between forwards Adam Armstrong and Ché Adams has paced Russell Martin’s side, who are intent on returning to the top flight after its prior stay lasted 12 years.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Leeds United vs. Southampton (EFL Championship playoff final)
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Sargent faces a race against time to recover for the second leg against Leeds
Norwich City will be hoping for good news after watching leading goalscorer Josh Sargent depart the first leg of its promotion playoff against Leeds with an injury.
The U.S. men’s national team forward was forced off in the 84th minute, and manager David Wagner confirmed that the issue was with the same ankle that required surgery earlier this season.
Sargent missed nearly four full months for the Canaries, only to return to play in inspired form. The Missouri native scored 13 times in 22 matches, helping Norwich claim the final spot in the Championship’s promotion playoffs.
However, Sargent took a seat away from the ball late on against Leeds, departing a tense 0-0 draw at Carrow Road in the 84th minute. After receiving treatment briefly, Sargent slowly walked off under his own power.
Wagner hopes ‘tough guy’ Sargent returns
Speaking to reporters after the match, Wagner offered some hope that the USMNT striker would be available in Thursday’s second leg at Elland Road.
“Obviously [Sargent] wasn’t able to carry on,” said Wagner. “I haven’t spoken with him or the medical department in any detail. I think he has some problems with his ankle again.
“But, he’s a tough guy, and obviously it’s a big game. I hope and I think he will be fine.”
Norwich’s task will be simple: win on Thursday, and the Canaries will move on to the world’s most lucrative one-off match, a one-game playoff final at Wembley against either West Brom or Southampton. With no away goals rule in place, a draw by any score will send the tie to extra time.
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.
Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas may soon be investors in the Championship side
Leeds United’s new ownership group may be adding some major stars of the PGA Tour.
Rickie Fowler has said that he, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are interested in joining new Leeds owners 49ers Enterprises as investors in the team.
“There is the group that’s moving forward with being involved with Leeds. Myself, J.T. and Jordan potentially will be a part of it,” Fowler told Sky Sports ahead of this week’s U.S. Open in Los Angeles.
“It’s cool to have those opportunities. I know we are looking into it. It will be fun if we get to be a part of it.”
Last week, Leeds announced that owner Andrea Radrizzani had reached an agreement to sell his stake in the club to 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
The move will keep an American influence at the club after a season in which three Americans — Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams — played for the club and American coach Jesse Marsch was in charge for part of the season.
Following the club’s relegation, McKennie has returned to Juventus after his loan expired while Aaronson and Adams have been rumored to be eyeing transfers away.
“Obviously they got relegated, but to be able to go to a Premier League game, Champions League. I feel like, obviously you call it football over there, we call it soccer here, it’s a massive sport,” Fowler added.
“I feel like it’s continuing to get bigger in the States but since I haven’t been to a game, I don’t have the true appreciation until I’ve actually been able to go and be there and feel that energy.”
Important battle between #THFC & #LUFC on the final matchday in the EPL on Sunday:
There’s plenty already decided ahead of the final day of the 2022-2023 season in the English Premier League.
But not everything.
Enter: Leeds United vs. Tottenham Hotspur. Both sides have a lot on the line.
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Leeds is playing for more: Life in the Premier League. They are in the midst of the relegation battle in 19th place with 31 points. But the Whites cling to hope and this would be the ideal time for “Big Sam” Allardyce to pull off his first win since his late-season appointment as manager.
A win and some help and Leeds stay in the Premiership.
Leicester, in a relegation spoit in 18th, also sit at 31 points. Leeds needs West Ham (14th) to win or draw against Leicester.
Then there’s Everton, the final club that’s currently safe, but one that still needs a result.
The 17th place club can’t move up the table at all. However, a win against Bournemouth (15th) and the Toffees avoid a stunning drop to the Championship if Leicester or Leeds win and Everton lose.
Plenty of help is needed for Leeds to stay up, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in the Prem.
Spurs will look to make it difficult for Leeds. It remains to be seen if this lifeless Tottenham side musters up much energy after lacking it often over the past month.
Spurs have fallen completely out of a European place. Currently in eighth with 57 points, Tottenham can still snag seventh and the EPL’s spot in the Conference League with a win over Leeds and if Aston Villa (7th) fails to get a win against Brighton (6th).
Adding even more chaos are the injuries for both sides. Top Leeds striker Patrick Bamford went off last week. Spurs will be down arguably their top-two defenders in Cristian Romero and Eric Dier–Both been ruled out by gaffer Ryan Mason.
And as if that wasn’t enough madness, the first time these two met this year was in the final game before the World Cup break… it was Spurs win in a chaotic 4-3 fashion.
Ahead of the pivotal matchup, here is everything you need to know to stream the action:
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Tyler Adams won’t be back in time to help Leeds in its battle against the drop.
That’s the prognosis of manager Sam Allardyce, who effectively shut the door on the U.S. men’s national team captain playing any part in the club’s three remaining games this season.
Asked during a press conference Thursday if there was any chance of Adams returning, Allardyce responded “No, not that I believe, sadly.”
Adams suffered a hamstring injury in mid-March, and roughly two weeks later underwent what the club called a “non-invasive” surgical procedure to help aid his recovery. Leeds has not specified the exact nature of Adams’ injury, but the recovery for a typical hamstring strain tends to be shorter than the length of time the USMNT star has been out.
Leeds is in 19th place in the Premier League table, and faces a difficult set of fixtures: a home game against Newcastle on Saturday, followed by a road match at West Ham on May 21. The final match on Leeds’ fixture list is at home against Tottenham on May 28.
Dire news for Leeds
Adams was a crucial cog in the machine for Leeds, starting 25 of its first 27 matches. Even as the club moved through managers Jesse Marsch, Michael Skubala, and Javi Gracia, Adams remained a locked-in starter as the team’s No. 6.
In his absence, Leeds has turned to Adams’ USMNT teammate Weston McKennie to play alongside Marc Roca in a central midfield double-pivot, pairing that duo in each of their last seven games. However, both of those players would be more effective in a box-to-box role alongside Adams or someone like him, and the lack of a natural anchor in the midfield has been apparent.
The difference for Leeds has been stark. With Adams on the field, Leeds has picked up 0.92 points per game; without him, their rate drops to 0.64. Leeds gave up 36 goals in the 25 games Adams played, or 1.44 per game. Since his injury, that rate has ballooned up to 3.00, with Leeds conceding 27 times in the nine games since he ended up on the sideline.
Not coincidentally, from the time of Adams’ injury to now, Leeds — on a run in which the club has picked up one point in six games — has seen a precarious lower-mid-table place become a situation where relegation seems more likely than not.
Some teams are having a blast, while others are going through it
The Premier League is getting down to the nitty-gritty.
The end of the season is approaching, with most teams having five or six games left to secure a trophy, a spot in Europe, or just keep themselves in the top flight for another year.
For some teams, the end of the season was expected to be a pressure-cooker, but has instead been something of a celebration. For others, it’s one last chance to fight their way to safety, or at least salvage some pride in an otherwise disappointing season.
Here’s where everyone stands heading into the last month of the 2022-23 season.
The Leeds and USMNT star spoke to PSW about his first year in England and being back with the national team
It’s been quite the season for Brenden Aaronson.
From his Premier League debut to his World Cup debut, to a relegation battle, there have been plenty of ups and downs for the 22-year-old.
After a quick start with Leeds, Aaronson admits he’s lost some confidence amid a season that has seen him tally just one goal and two assists.
Ahead of the USMNT’s game against El Salvador on Monday, ProSoccerWire caught up with Aaronson about his first season in England, his return to the USMNT after the World Cup and the prospect of sharing a national team midfield with his younger brother Paxten.
This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
PSW: How has it been being back with the group for the first time since the World Cup? So many of the same guys are back from Qatar but it’s a different cycle, it’s a different vibe, it’s an interim coach.
Aaronson: It’s just been amazing to come in and see all the guys, and to see all the amazing faces that we have here. My family actually got to come down, so I was able to see my family, who I haven’t seen in a couple months now. So I think all of that together, plus the football has been great, it’s just been an amazing trip.
PSW: Right now you guys are in this transitionary period where you don’t have a permanent head coach. Based on what some of the officials from U.S. Soccer have been saying, it might not be until the end the summer, maybe fall or a little bit later until you have you have someone in. For you is that an issue having to wait that long, or is it OK, at least in part because there’s no Word Cup qualifying this cycle?
Aaronson: For me personally, I’m the guy that goes with the flow. I enjoy anything that comes my way because I know it’s just part of life. Listen, the staff that’s here right now has been doing a fantastic job. So whatever is going to happen will happen because that’s the way life is, you just let things happen and we’ll see where it goes.
PSW: There’s been a debate on how much an international coach matters — it’s so different to a club coach, who can mold a team on a daily basis. What’s your opinion on that?
Aaronson: The easiest way of saying it is national team coaches don’t get the beauty of having the guys in every single day and being able to work on things all the time. Whenever you’re in [national team] camp, you have to have almost like a fast forward [button] and go through all the things in the amount of days that we have.
As soon as you get into camp, you already have to be focusing on the next game because it’s only like three or four days [away]. So you’re already tactically preparing for what they’re going to do and you’re working on things tactically as a group. It’s definitely more tactical [in international] but in club you can kind of do five-v-fives and play a little bit more.
PSW: Over the past week a few of your teammates have voiced support for Gregg Berhalter — most notably Christian Pulisic — saying they felt it was really unfortunate what happened to him. Do you agree with that sentiment?
Aaronson: I can’t say much about the whole situation. But I think Gregg was amazing for the time that he was here. The record doesn’t lie. I think winning two trophies was huge for the team and he had a really great thing with the group and he was really good for the guys. But listen, I can’t say much and whatever happens happens, like I like to say.
Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP
PSW: Let’s switch gears to Leeds. Take us back to the beginning of the season. The Austrian Bundesliga is a pretty high level, but it is a pretty significant step up from Austria to the Premier League. What was that step up like for you?
Aaronson: It feels like it’s been the longest year in a long time just because the World Cup [was] in the middle and everything that’s happened. But I think everybody saw at the beginning it was going really well. The team was feeling amazing at the time and I think I was playing some of the best soccer of my career in that first part of [the season].
And then you come back [from the World Cup] and then it’s kind of a different story where you’re fighting for results. It’s tough, and it’s been definitely a different year for me, but listen, I think that’s the beauty of football: I’m learning and I’m still super young and taking every game, and I’m just trying to get better. That’s what I always pride myself on.
PSW: For you personally, was that World Cup break at an inopportune time, and was it hard to get your rhythm back after being away from the team for that long?
Aaronson: It’s been ups and downs, and I think that maybe the World Cup didn’t help me that much because I didn’t play 90 minutes each game like I was playing at Leeds. I understood that, I knew my role [at the World Cup]. But I think that it might have slowed me down. I might have even been tired from it at the time because I flew 15 hours home after the World Cup and only had five days off and then had to go back and report [to Leeds] so that was pretty tough. I haven’t had a lot of time off, so it’s been hard. But I think that it’s only making me stronger and only making me better and I think I’ve become mentally stronger because of it.
PSW: Going back to the beginning of the season, like you said, you kind of got off to a flying start and within a month, you had your own song from the fans. I don’t know exactly how many new signings get their own song within a month, but I don’t think it’s a whole lot of them.
Aaronson: That was definitely an amazing feeling. The fans have been great this whole season. It definitely hasn’t been an ideal season, especially with the place we’re in, we’re fighting every week. That’s tough, and I think the fans see that, but they’ve been great through it all. And I think that for me to get a song so quick into it, I think it just shows the confidence that they had in me and it brought confidence to my game.
PSW: Were there any “Welcome to the Premier League” moments where you looked around and were like, I can’t believe I’m playing against this player, or at this stadium or against this team?
Aaronson: There’s been so many but I think the really “wow” moment was definitely when we were playing Liverpool at Anfield, and of course we won the game. I think that was the most amazing win in my career — just the magnitude of the game and being at Anfield playing Liverpool, which was my favorite team growing up. It was huge for me.
Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
PSW: There has been a huge American presence at Leeds this season. Have you felt that interest from back home, knowing there was so much attention on your club?
Aaronson: 100 percent. I think it really hits you when they moved the games to USA [Network] from Peacock, I think three weeks into the season because just the amount of viewers that were watching our games. That was crazy and I think that’s what really hit me. You take a step back and say wow, I’m really helping the kids back in America and inspiring youth, like it definitely hits you differently.
PSW: I wanted to ask about some of the results and some of the performances because even as neutral it’s been frustrating at times. You watch and say “they were right in the game” or even “they controlled a lot of the game” and there just hasn’t been that final ball or the ball just hasn’t gone in. The stats back that up too: you’re not getting blown out, the expected goals have been pretty decent.
Aaronson: The way you put it is very much what it’s been like for us. It’s been frustrating in the sense that we feel like we were doing better than what we were maybe showing. The xG would be up there, we will be controlling the game, and then they get goals. I feel like things have not fallen our way in that sense.
What’s been frustrating me a lot is the goalscoring and the assists. I feel like I’ve created a lot of chances and I’ve taken a lot of shots and they’re still not going in. So it’s been frustrating. It’s frustrating for any player that’s going through a time where they’re not getting goals or they’re not getting assists. It weighs on you a lot, especially when you’re an attacking player and the confidence starts to come down a little bit. But for me just having the people around me telling me that the goals will come — I think the last game (USMNT vs. Grenada) when you score that goal was it was just a huge sigh of relief when you finally hit the back of the net.
PSW: For any professional player, losing head coaches is part of the deal. But I’m sure when Jesse Marsch was sacked it hit a little bit different because you have a relationship with him from Red Bull Salzburg, and he’s a fellow American. How tough was that?
Aaronson: It was definitely tough. He’s an amazing guy and I think he’s an amazing coach. And he did a lot for me as a player, and I felt like I learned a lot under him. So of course, it’s tough to take but everybody knows it’s part of the game — it’s what we sign up for. It can be cruel at times and it definitely wasn’t ideal but s––– happens in football. So you just have to move on and bounce back and do what’s best for the club and for your teammates around you.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
PSW: Let’s finish with a couple questions about your brother. He’s had an amazing few months, making his senior USMNT debut and Eintracht Frankfurt debut. Frankfurt initially said this first half-season was almost going to be like a redshirt year for him so are you surprised how quickly he’s become a part of the first team?
Aaronson: I was not surprised at all. We’ve been learning our entire lives to take our chances when they come, and I think that describes Paxten and his mentality. He’s an amazing player and I think it goes to show that Frankfurt really didn’t know what he was capable of at the time. Of course they scouted hm and they knew how good of a player he was, but [they didn’t know] how he would help the first team. I think the coach and all the players think that he’s been doing amazing. That’s what I’ve heard and I’m really really happy for him.
PSW: Have you been able to help him with his German at all?
Aaronson: (Laughs) That’s a touchy subject because my German is not too hot! He’s taking lessons and stuff and he’s getting involved. I took lessons too, but I think I needed a little bit more time in Austria before I could learn it fully.
PSW: It hasn’t happened yet, but it seems like it’s getting closer to you and your brother playing together for the USMNT. Have you given any consideration into what that may be like?
Aaronson: My mom’s given it a lot of consideration! Our mom wants to see it really, really bad. And of course I want to see it too. He has so much to grow and learn and he’ll continue to do that because I know him and I’m really excited for him. I watch every single one of his games, so I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do next.
