USMNT news: McKennie to Villa, Leeds departures, Sargent goal

Today’s USMNT news includes Weston McKennie being targeted by a number of clubs. Brenden Aaronson looks set to leave Leeds United and Tyler Adams should follow. Meanwhile, Josh Sargent has already gotten off the mark for Norwich City this pre-season.

USMNT news: Weston McKennie to Aston Villa

Timothy Weah has recently joined Juventus but it does not appear likely that he will be linking up with Weston McKennie in Serie A. McKennie spent the second half of last season on loan at Leeds and is expected to leave Juve this summer.

Transfer expert Ekrem Konur said, “Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray are battling for Weston McKennie’s signature.”

Villa would be an attractive option for the midfielder. Unai Emery managed to transform them from a side that was battling relegation to one that qualified for the Europa Conference League. However, McKennie did not impress in a Leeds side that was relegated from the Premier League. If he does join Emery’s roster, it would not be a signing that would fill Villa supporters with optimism.

Moving to Borussia Dortmund from a purely soccer perspective makes sense. McKennie was very successful for Schalke in the Bundesliga. However, his former club are fierce rivals of Dortmund, so it would not be a popular transfer.

Galatasaray is a step down for the player, as they play in the Turkish Super Lig which is not one of Europe’s top leagues. McKennie will have a tough decision to make when choosing his next club.

USMNT news: Leeds United departures

The American era at Leeds United is coming to a close. Brenden Aaronson is set to leave and Tyler Adams could soon follow.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports has tweeted “Aaronson deal, final stages now! Union Berlin will finalize the transfer in the next days. One year loan without an option to buy.”

Adams has been linked with Aston Villa and West Ham United. He was expected by many to be more likely to move on than Aaronson. However, nothing concrete has been reported yet and it may be harder for him to get a transfer than it was initially thought.

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post, “Incoming owners 49ers Enterprises have identified (Adams) as a key part of their plans, if they can persuade him to withstand the top flight offers that will come his way from the Premier League and around Europe during the summer transfer window.”

This rumor could just be a way for the club to drive up the price tag for Adams. It would be devastating for the player if he has to play in the Championship next season.

USMNT news: Josh Sargent already scoring

Josh Sargent opened the scoring for Norwich City in their 6-1 pre-season friendly win against King’s Lynn Town yesterday. Sargent is expected to play a more prominent role for the Canaries next season as Teemu Pukki has now left the club to join Minnesota United.

The American scored 13 goals in the Championship in the last campaign and will need to continue his goalscoring form if Norwich are going to get promoted back to the Premier League. Sargent’s manager at the club is former USMNT player, David Wagner, who is embarking on his first full season in the role.