After his superb performances for the U.S. national team at the 2014 World Cup, it’s no wonder European giants are sniffing around DeAndre Yedlin.
The 20-year-old Seattle Sounders right back proved his talent on the world stage in three cameo appearances off the bench on the right flank for the U.S. and he certainly turned plenty of heads with his speedy displays.
Reports from England have him heading to Liverpool on trial, apparently Roma are interested in taking him Serie A. The kid who has just one full Major League Soccer season under his belt is suddenly one of the hottest properties in the right back slot. Many were questioning Jurgen Klinsmann for taking him to the World Cup. Not now.
Addressing the increased speculation surrounding their star speedster, Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer released the following statement on Sunday. For now, Yedlin will remain a Sounder but Hanauer didn’t exactly reassure Seattle’s fans that a move to Europe is out of the question for their academy product.
Would this be a good or bad thing for Yedlin’s development?
Who knows. You only have to look at other U.S. international moving abroad, such as Brek Shea, Maurice Edu, Tim Ream and countless others, to see that joining a European club isn’t always the best option. That said, if Roma or Liverpool do come calling, it would be hard for Seattle to stand in Yedlin’s way.
That is essentially what Hanauer is saying in his statement. The Sounders will likely get a very sizeable transfer fee for a player they produced. Yedlin can kick on his career at a top European side and the U.S. will have a young full back ready who’s ready to star at right back for a decade to come.
Everyone’s a winner... right?