There are only a few days left in the European transfer window as (most) countries see the deadline on February 1st. However, this does not mean that the deal still cannot be closed.
Philadelphia Union exports Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg) and Mark McKenzie (Genk) have already made their debut for their new clubs while loaned striker Jordan Morris (Swansea City) is not far from Seattle Sounders himself.
Could several MLSers follow them to Europe? There are six situations to monitor here.
Bryan Reynolds
I mean, yes, technically that still hasn’t happened.
By now, most of you know the story, or at least have been inundated with all of the updates and false starts that you discontinued, but Reynolds is technically an FC Dallas player a little longer. In a long, drawn-out saga with so many twists and turns, it appears that he will soon become an AS Roma player.
Jumped up @Extra time to talk more about Bryan Reynolds’ potential move to AS Roma. So many moving parts + lost thoughts, I didn’t even mention finances! As I reported above, Dallas is looking at the $ 8.5 million base with $ 11 million in incentives from Roma https://t.co/Zb3kU9CR6A pic.twitter.com/WmLPU6lmhM
– Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 23, 2021
But don’t let the micro get in the way of the macro: this would be an incredible deal for both the club and the player. Dallas would receive around $ 8.5 million upfront and potentially around $ 11 million in incentives from Roma per source for a player who had exactly one MLS start before last September. For Reynolds, his ascent is meteoric and borderline incredible. The 19-year-old would join one of the biggest clubs in Europe but should be given every chance to take a minute and develop.
Reynolds would join the US men’s team midfielder Weston McKennie in Serie A as he did so for Juventus.
Paul Arriola
Swansea City doesn’t just look at Morris in the hope of making her Premier League dreams a reality. The Championship Club are also looking to sign DC United midfielder Arriola.
The versatile winger would likely be slated for the right full-back in Swansea’s 3-5-2 formation. You are in the hunt for promotion and are competing in the second week of the championship. Each step would be a loan with an option to buy, which will likely depend on whether or not they will be promoted to the Premier League.
“There are ongoing discussions with the club regarding Paul,” said Dave Kasper, general manager of DC United and vice president of the football business, on Friday speaking to the media in the coming days in contact with Swansea. “
No updates since then, neither officially nor reported. Keep an eye on this.
Another facet of this potential knowledge surge: Arriola’s former side, Club Tijuana, have a significant sale clause on Arriola’s next transfer, according to the source. Let’s see if Swansea and DC can find common ground for a transfer number that makes sense for both of them.
Brian Rodriguez
When LAFC signed Brian Rodriguez, he was already a big prospect in Uruguay. The feeling was that he wouldn’t be in Los Angeles long.
Will this be winter when its time comes? The player himself proposes that his future lies in Europe, though there aren’t many reports of where he might end up.
Rodriguez signed for the club in the summer of 2019. He had two goals and seven assists in 19 MLS games in 2020 but was excluded from the starting line-up in each of the three Concacaf Champions League games in December.
The 20-year-old has already played nine international matches for the Uruguayan senior team.
Diego Rossi
Speaking of Uruguayan wingers at LAFC, Rossi has long been slated as a player who could land at a major European club.
As with Rodriguez, there haven’t been too many reports of his future with serious offers. Last season, Rossi won the first award for the AT&T MLS Young Player of the Year 2020 on the way to winning the 2020 MLS Golden Boot from Audi.
Rossi, 22, has been a star in the MLS since making his LAFC debut with 42 goals and 20 assists in 85 games.
LAFC have won three wingers in the last few months, so the club will be well positioned even if a deal is made for Rossi or Rodriguez. The added Corey Baird in a Real Salt Lake deal earlier this off-season picked Daniel Trejo in SuperDraft 2021 and signed Mahalo Opoku last October.
Aaron Long
Could Morris be the next USMNT player to move to Europe this winter as Morris already in Swansea and Arriola may soon follow suit?
The New York Red Bulls center-back has been linked to overseas transfers for nearly two years. RBNY has reportedly turned down “multiple offers” from West Ham for its services. MLSsoccer.com also reported In the summer of 2019, the Red Bulls turned down an offer from a French club.
Named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018, Long, 28, anchored RBNY’s backline en route to a Supporters’ Shield title. He has 18 caps for the USMNT and was a regular starter under Gregg Berhalter.
Thomas Chacon
Not the name you expected, is it?
Chacon, 20, has been looking for game time since arriving at Minnesota United FC in the summer of 2019, playing just 257 minutes in a season and a half. The Loons were hoping to borrow him to make sure he got time to play even though nothing came up.
“We are actively trying to loan him out during the call,” said head coach Adrian Heath on December 11th. “Europe continues to play. Thomas had an incredibly frustrating season. I don’t want to come to March when Thomas is here and not on the team. We want to borrow him. We talked to a few clubs in Europe, we think we’re close When the window opens in Europe in January, we hope that Thomas gets there and plays. “
Minnesota was also public with the intention of loaning the Designated Player out during the 2020 season, a move that never materialized.
