Americans Abroad 2021-22: The Hype Train Is Leaving The Station

Jimy Hendrix · Dec 11, 2021

Titans Bastard said:
Jonathan Tomkinson '02, a center back, has made the bench for Norwich City for the first time in today's match against Manchester United. He's been captaining their U23 team lately, and quite recently signed a contract extension with the club.

Obviously who knows what he could do, but based on history should we be legitimate USMNT prospect excited, or Otasowie/Vassilev “hey, that’s neat” excited?

Jimy Hendrix · Dec 11, 2021

It’s nice that the USMNT is now deep enough in many positions that I don’t need to life or death follow the career of every prospect. Also makes it easier to just enjoy Americans doing interesting stuff without needing to fixate on what it means for the USMNT, like Ramirez attacking the scoring charts at Aberdeen.

This does not of course apply to the central midfield, where every child is precious.

shawnrbu · Dec 19, 2021

Jordan Siebatcheu has scored 4 goals for Young Boys today.

SocrManiac · Dec 19, 2021

Edit: Wrong Thread

bosox4283 · Dec 21, 2021

rguilmar said:
I'll believe it when I see it to be honest. I'm sure Xavi will be given a lot of input on transfers, but I would imagine that they need to be prioritized, and a cheap youngster seems less important to me than some other moves they need to make. Barca had two of the top young right backs in the world in Dest and Emerson, and recently sold Emerson to Spurs. I know Xavi wasn't in charge then, but the club clearly made a call on who was part of the future and who was not. Dani Alves is coming in but he can't be looked at as any sort of every week player at this point. I think most people envision this more as a mentorship for Dest.

That being said, Barca's financial difficulties are pretty well known. Dest can be sold at a pretty decent profit. Because of his wages, he's probably one of the few non La Masia players that can be moved at all for a profit. Xavi has made it clear he wants to focus on players from the Barca system, so I would guess any La Masia product with any promise will not be sold. It's pennies though compared to the debt owed, so I'm not sure it makes sense. Barcelona's larger financial issue isn't the debt necessarily, it's the wages, and Dest is one of the lower paid players. Moving some of the overpaid wingers and MF to make room for La Masia youngsters seems like a better bet to me.

Of course, Barca's transfers for the better part of the last decade make basically no sense anyways. So who knows.

I agreed with your overall message, but it seems that Xavi is determined to show Dest the door if there is a taker at the price Barcelona wants.

rguilmar · Dec 21, 2021

bosox4283 said:
I agreed with your overall message, but it seems that Xavi is determined to show Dest the door if there is a taker at the price Barcelona wants.

A few of my posts haven’t aged well. At another point I think I said that I liked the Miazga and Hoppe transfers.

I get that Xavi is prioritizing La Masia players and his former teammates but I still think this is shortsighted by Barca. That’s par for the course for Barca for the last decade though. I imagine Dest will be sold for a profit and wonder who would be interested aside from Bayern and City

Jimy Hendrix · Dec 26, 2021

Titans Bastard said:
There's been a proliferation of reports that Pepi may be transferring to Wolfsburg.

Nobody is particularly happy about this destination.

Say what you will about Kohfeldt, we do know he's willing to give a young American striker minutes

rguilmar · Dec 27, 2021

Titans Bastard said:
There's been a proliferation of reports that Pepi may be transferring to Wolfsburg.

Nobody is particularly happy about this destination.

It's looking more and more likely right now that he will join Wolfsburg. I know some fans are sorta melting down because of Wolfsburg's recent results with American academy players, but that's apples and oranges to me. This is a full transfer to the big club, not a developmental situation. This is not a club that will just drop $10 million on a player and not put him in the immediate rotation. Wolfsburg have Weghorst now, but I imagine he is off to the Prem either this window or next. They do have Nmecha, who looks really good, but he plays more of a winger role and I think just broke his ankle. They're also in a relegation battle, and they won't risk wasting money this window unless they're confident that Pepi can help immediately. In short, I'm not worried about him getting minutes this season.

However, if the concern is that he doesn't have the quality and/or consistency right now to play in a top five league, or that the pressure of coming into this situation might be too much, well that's a different thing entirely.

Jimy Hendrix · Dec 27, 2021

Kohfeldt’s Wolfsburg is even a pretty substantially different situation than his Bremen, who were a lot more broke as a club.

He’s certainly been on a miserable run since his brief new manager bounce, but people are being pretty quick to map the old template on the new situation. Bundesliga is extremely tight this year, there are 11 points between the CL places and the relegation playoff place. If Kohfeldt continues losing literally every league game they play then it’ll be a more severe problem quickly, but at this stage of the season they’re not in any relegation scrap that Tyler Adams or Joe Scally are not also in.

Jimy Hendrix · Dec 28, 2021

Not sure that being in the Brugge reserves over LAG2 is such a better situation to be worth missing a year of development or however much it was.

Pretty decent landing spot though.

ninjacornelius · Dec 29, 2021

The Telegraph’s reporting that George Bello is being targeted by Watford. It doesn’t seem like the most stable situation over there right now, but if they get relegated I think he’d do well as a starter in the Championship at this stage of his career.

Jimy Hendrix · Jan 1, 2022

Looking likely that Daryl Dike will go to West Brom. I like it, team that needs him, manager that loves him and specifically targeted him, pretty good shot to fire them up to the EPL.

Only potential quibble from a USMNT perspective is that it’s more reps in a style wildly unlike the national team which might continue failing to convince Berhalter, but if he gets back in form and starts firing goals in I expect he’ll get calls.

rguilmar · Jan 1, 2022

I’m sorry, but does that say Augsburg?

They only have 17 goals and I think Niederlechner is their leading goal scorer with 3 (and he’s hurt) so he slots right into the rotation. $20 million is a lot for Augsburg. Of course they’re right in the relegation fight just one point clear of the play in game.

67YAZ · Jan 1, 2022

What a start to 2022 - $30m for 2 American strikers! On the same day?!?!?

Augsburg must be very confident in the sell on potential to splash this cash on a young player from abroad in the middle of a relegation fight.

Senator Donut · Jan 2, 2022

67YAZ said:
What a start to 2022 - $30m for 2 American strikers! On the same day?!?!?

Augsburg must be very confident in the sell on potential to splash this cash on a young player from abroad in the middle of a relegation fight.

We’ve come a long way from Juan Agudelo getting called into the national team for do-or-die matches.

View: https://twitter.com/manuelveth/status/1477691984575811588

Apparently Augsburg have an American investor, David Blitzer, who put forth his own money to swoop in at the last second.

candylandriots · Jan 2, 2022

Senator Donut said:
We’ve come a long way from Juan Agudelo getting called into the national team for do-or-die matches.

View: https://twitter.com/manuelveth/status/1477691984575811588

Apparently Augsburg have an American investor, David Blitzer, who put forth his own money to swoop in at the last second.

Don’t know whether to be disappointed Blitzer hasn’t done something like that for Palace (to my knowledge), to be encouraged that he someday might, be excited for Pepi and the USMNT, be annoyed that a competitor of Union’s got better, or to bake all those emotions into a single mediocre casserole.

rguilmar · Jan 5, 2022

Titans Bastard said:
Smoke around a potential loan move to Rangers for James Sands is intensifying.

View: https://twitter.com/JordanC1107/status/1478364609971212298

This one has been completed. 18 month loan to Rangers. It was rumored some German clubs were interested which for 18 months I would have preferred.

Jimy Hendrix · Jan 8, 2022

In “how fast are you throwing your new US striker into things?” news, Pepi is already on the bench for Augsburg while Ismael is putting his money where his mouth is on giving Dike a mini-preseason to get fit and he’s not even on the bench. Hoppe also back on the Mallorca bench.

Jimy Hendrix · Jan 8, 2022

First impressions so we’ll see how things develop, but so far I put Augsburg above Norwich but below Venezia on the “is it fun or torturous to watch this European team struggle while rooting for the American there”

rguilmar · Jan 11, 2022

Just a random roundup of a few Yanks Abroad this weekend:

Yunus Musah got the start and went about 60 against Real Madrid. It was up and down, and one of his mistakes led to the third goal. Of note is that he started as a second striker. Rumors are that Valencia are open to selling Wass which would open up a CM spot.
Matt Miazga made his triumphant return to Alaves, going the full 90 in a 0-0 draw in a derby match against Bilbao.
Matthew Hoppe finally played for Mallorca after missing like 2-3 months with some mystery injury
Gianluca Busio started and looked pretty solid against Milan, and I believe he has logged the second most minutes of any field player at Venezia.
Weston McKennie went the full 90 in one of the most entertaining games of the year, a 4-3 comeback thriller in Rome (Reynolds was in the 18 for Roma). Right now, for my money, he is playing the best of any American in Europe
Don't look now, but Hoffenheim (Richards, for now) sit in 3rd in the Bundesliga and Marseille (Konrad) sit in second in Ligue 1. Richards look good in the first half and great in the second against Augsburg, and Konrad was definitely a spark for Marseille for the last 15 in their recent win.

rguilmar · Jan 12, 2022

Just one to keep an eye on, Folarin Balogun has joined Middlesborough on loan. The hope is that if he blossoms that he could choose the US like good friend Yunus Musah. He's eligible for the US, England, and Nigeria. Right now he's too good for the Arsenal youth setup and not good enough for the Prem.

https://www.arsenal.com/news/folarin-balogun-joins-middlesbrough-loan

Morgan's Magic Snowplow · Jan 12, 2022

rguilmar said:
Just one to keep an eye on, Folarin Balogun has joined Middlesborough on loan. The hope is that if he blossoms that he could choose the US like good friend Yunus Musah. He's eligible for the US, England, and Nigeria. Right now he's too good for the Arsenal youth setup and not good enough for the Prem.

https://www.arsenal.com/news/folarin-balogun-joins-middlesbrough-loan

This is a big opportunity for Balogun, who should have been loaned out over the summer and really needs to take the next step in his career. Boro's strikers aren't much to write home about but the club is in a fight for the promotion playoffs so nothing is going to be handed to him. Boro manager Chris Wilder has been trying to sign him since he was at Sheffield United so he'll go in with that advantage but he needs to earn everything from there.

Jimy Hendrix · Jan 18, 2022

Wonder how much is that they think they can develop or negotiate him into getting Dominik Szoboszlai money (he'd be about 80% there at that price, but that's with Leipzig getting the hometown discount on Szoboszlai), and how much is that they're through the CL group stage and don't want to dismantle their team until the summer.

Not that they're getting past Bayern, but on principle it's probably a bad look to sell talent off the team when they're furthest they have ever been in the CL.

Morgan's Magic Snowplow · Jan 18, 2022

Playing for Bielsa would be an exciting move for Aaronson. I think he could do really well in that system.

rguilmar · Jan 18, 2022

Jimy Hendrix said:
Wonder how much is that they think they can develop or negotiate him into getting Dominik Szoboszlai money (he'd be about 80% there at that price, but that's with Leipzig getting the hometown discount on Szoboszlai), and how much is that they're through the CL group stage and don't want to dismantle their team until the summer.

Not that they're getting past Bayern, but on principle it's probably a bad look to sell talent off the team when they're furthest they have ever been in the CL.

Gotta imagine that RB would prefer to sell him in the summer when transfers tend to be for larger sums and keeping him through the CL knockout stages. Hell, if he performs well more suitors can emerge. Milan is still out there too. Plus they probably want more time to identify a replacement (cough Caden Clark cough).

Kliq · Jan 19, 2022

Goal yesterday for Antonee Robinson in Fulham's drubbing of Birmingham City.

View: https://twitter.com/USMNTTAKES/status/1483774691689050116?s=20

Fulham are five points clear of second and third place in the Championship and have by far the best goal differential (+47) in the league, so it looks very possible Robinson will be up in the EPL again next year.

Morgan's Magic Snowplow · Jan 20, 2022

Turner could be taking the Steffen route.

A weird fit for Arsenal given Arteta's emphasis on playing out from the back. But maybe they think he could improve there or it simply doesn't matter that much for a backup GK.

Leno would presumably be sold if this happens.

View: https://twitter.com/TaylorTwellman/status/1484196895694151680

rguilmar · Jan 20, 2022

So Tim Weah returned to the Lille squad and came off the bench yesterday. That one kind of took me off guard a little as I didn't expect him back so soon. I do hope he gets a call in for the upcoming camp even if it's for sub appearances a la Pulisic last time.

67YAZ · Jan 20, 2022

Titans Bastard said:
Club Brugge is showing interest in Chicago's young GK Chris Brady '04. Brady is a highly regarded prospect, but so far they've given time to Gaga Slonina who is another big GK prospect of the same age.

Wow. Brady is still in high school. Very aggressive of Brugge to be in pursuit of Brady for a year already. Unless your name is Buffon or Donnarumma, it’s so he’s to project the outcome for a teenaged keeper. But that the Fire have 2 such high quality prospects?

Maybe there’s a little more substance to the Gaga to Europe rumors. Can’t imagine Chicago losing both of these kids.

cromulence · Jan 21, 2022

Josh Sargent just scored an outrageous goal. You read that right. 10 minutes after not being called up.

Americans Abroad 2021-22: The Hype Train Is Leaving The Station

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