GOAL breaks down the winners and losers of the transfer window for USMNT players, with an eye on the 2026 World Cup
And with that, the summer transfer window has come to a close. It was an eventful one for the U.S. men's national team. Right up until deadline day, Americans were on the move, with some of the biggest names in American soccer switching teams less than 12 months before the start of the World Cup.
Transfers, of course, come with risk. Staying does, too. Every player in contention for the World Cup spent this summer mulling over that balancing act. Several took massive swings while others stayed put. Decisions were made, and they'll have ramifications.
These things all be judged in hindsight, of course. But it is fair to look at the potential ramifications, both short and long-term, from a wild summer season in which a substantial number USMNT players switched addresses.
GOAL breaks down the USMNT's winners and losers from the summer transfer window.
GettyWINNER: The Championship
If you're a fan of a Championship team, there's a pretty good chance you have an American player on your team these days. And f you're a striker battling for a World Cup spot, you're likely going into that fight via England's second division.
The Championship's two top American scorers, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright, both ended up staying, and both look determined to put up big numbers this season. In a World Cup year, every player needs to bet on themselves somehow, and Sargent and Wright placed their bets on Championship dominance.
Rather than risking it all with a move elsewhere in Europe, that duo will now push for a Championship Golden Boot. It's a safer option, but one that leaves no room for error. Their performances so far this season have certainly made statements.
Patrick Agyemang and Damion Downs, meanwhile, went the opposite directions, leaving the comforts of their former clubs for new opportunities in England. Agyemang could have banged in goals for Charlotte FC over the next year; instead, he went to Derby County, putting him in direct competition with the duo above.
Same for Downs, who helped Koln to promotion only to head to Southampton to aid their push back towards the Premier League. Both moves are huge risks, at least in the short term. Over time, they could very well help Agyemang and Downs improve their games.
The Championship was one of the central hubs of American soccer's transfer window. Now, it's a league to keep an eye on on the road to a World Cup.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Lyon
Transfer windows are so often meticulously planned. Moves are planned out months in advance. Back-channeling starts the wheels spinning long before bids are officially submitted. In the end, the best clubs are the ones that are prepared, stay true to a vision and execute it to ensure they maximize their opportunity to improve their teams.
And then there's what Lyon did, specifically with Matt Turner. There was clearly no plan or, at best, a very shoddy one. It's how the club ended up looking totally careless, even if they found a way to escape the situation in the end.
If you need a catch-up, Lyon signed Turner from Crystal Palace this summer. After some rule-mandated changes in leadership due to co-ownership with Crystal Palace, the new regime decided they no longer actually wanted Turner. Paperwork had been signed, though. He was their player, and they were in an awkward spot.
They were able to extricate themselves thanks to a lifeline from the New England Revolution, who were more than happy to offer Lyon a temporary, but potentially permanent, reprieve to bring Turner back to MLS. That doesn't change the fact that Lyon came out of this looking messy, which is never how a club of their stature should look during a transfer window.
The Turner situation is one that few outside of the American sphere will know about it, but it certainly was one of the most convoluted situations of the summer. In the end, it worked out, but not in a way that flattered the French giants.
ImagnWINNER: MLS
League-wide, this was a big summer for MLS. Teams spent a combined $336 million on player signings, showing just how far the league has come in both ambition and finances. Heung-min Son, Rodrigo De Paul, and Thomas Muller – those big names have been added to the MLS ecosystem, and that's saying nothing of those that aren't very good players without that global reputation.
This, though, is about the Americans, and the stars of the USMNT took centerstage as part of MLS' transfer window, too.
Paxten Aaronson came back, showing the allure of MLS even for young Americans in Europe. It was a big decision, one that will have lasting ramifications, but Aaronson's choice to join the Colorado Rapids was a big win for the league and a big win for the Rapids after they sold Djordje Mihailovic to Toronto FC.
Turner, too, came home in search of playing time, making it a near certainty that the USMNT's starting goalkeeper next summer will play in MLS.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear that playing in MLS won't be a detriment to a player's USMNT status. That's why it's a reasonable outcome that players like Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman and Diego Luna stayed at home. There are opportunities for players in MLS, perhaps more so than ever, and that's a win for the league.
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Getty Images SportLOSER: Gold Cup left backs
Going back to Arfsten, there seemed to be interest. Middlesbrough were reportedly interested, and it's easy to see why that move would have worked for Arfsten. His stock is up after the Gold Cup, and Boro would give him a good platform to both grow his game and get into that big European shop window. There were links to France, too, and that move would have made sense, too.
Instead, he's staying in MLS. That will likely be OK. Move or no move, Arfsten wasn't going to surpass Antonee Robinson on the pecking order any time soon. Could he have closed the gap with a move abroad? Sure. Would it be better long-term? Potentially. Instead, it didn't happen, and reports indicate it was more so because the Crew weren't willing to sell, not because Arfsten didn't understand those facts.
John Tolkin, too, was at the Gold Cup, and he, too, didn't move this summer. After impressing with Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga, he's off to a very hot start in the 2. Bundesliga following their relegation. It may be a good thing that Tolkin takes a year to be a big fish in a small German pond, but he may also be too good for that level, even if Europe is still relatively new to him.
A big move for either, and ensuing success, could have solidified their place on a World Cup roster. Instead, their push will come at their current clubs.