USMNT Transfer Watch - Movers and Shakers

Emi Martinez had less than 70 career first team caps until he got to Aston Villa when he was 28. His highest cap number was 18, in the Championship.

Then he won a World Cup.

 

Its one of those things.
He played well for a 17-18 year old in MLS.
At the time he was the youngest ever starting keeper in MLS.
The guy was 4th in MLS' 22 under 22 in 2022. That's a tounge-twister.

As prospects go, he was a very good prospect. But just like looking at an MLB list of top prospects, only a portion of them make it into becoming stars.

Playing well in MLS for an 18 year old is different than being one of the best keepers in the league regardless of age. Which he wasn't...........................(just like Duran Ferree isn't now).

 

This was mentioned in the MLS thread, but let's put it here as well.
Report: Dynamo acquiring Duncan McGuire from Orlando City | Reuters

The Houston Dynamo are acquiring American striker Duncan McGuire from Orlando City, The Athletic reported Thursday.

In exchange ‌for the 25-year-old McGuire, Orlando will receive $1.25 million in general allocation money and $1.15 million in targeted allocation money in performance-based incentives. The Lions also will ⁠retain a sell-on clause.

 

Pretty much. My point was more people saw the age and didnt realize how much he had to work on. Which isnt a big deal. The big deal is he hasn't been able too because of bad loans (Eupen) and injury (which led to him falling down the pecking order even at Chelsea)

I think people expected him to be ready to go to Strasbourg after Eupen. He looked good early at Barnsley but the issues he has as a player (namely decision making coming off his line) really started to show before the wrist injury.

But again, not uncommon for keepers to emerge later. Just needs to find a place to play

 

But this is why he probably should have stayed in Chicago versus going to Chelsea. He continues to work on things and improve his game and makes a move when he’s more ready.

For a young goalie if you have starting job at a decent level I’d be loathe to give that up to go somewhere that playing time would be much more questionable.

 

Meh. Its a difficult one. We want our players "reaching for the stars."
You can't blame Chicago for accepting that transfer fee, and you can't blame Slonina for accepting a 2 million dollar a year contract.

I'm sure when Slonina was talking to Chelsea, they'd laid out an attractive "development plan" for him. It probably did involve some initial steps up the ladder on loans.

I just didn't work out.

As I said previously, goalkeeper is just a different beast. You need to be playing, but where do you go in Europe for that guarantee of playing?? You have to be very wary about that jump to Europe when you have a good thing going in MLS.

It seems like a risky propisition. If a team is going to pay you millions of dollars a year, then its going to be hard to turn down.

Gavin Beavers wasn't actually playing in MLS and made the jump to a European club. Now he's not playing at the European club either. So............................

Predicting future success for young goalkeepers seems to be a fools errand. I've been failing pretty successfully and spectacularly at that for 30 years. Go ahead and place a bet on Kochen starting for us at WC30 if you want. Based on recent trends, you might place a better bet on Michael Collodi. A 4-year starter at Columbia! Not Colombia, but Columbia.

The two guys who played for us at WC26 were NCAA players at Fairfield and Harvard.

 

Eredivisie increases salaries for non-EU players:

The non EU minimum salary has been raised in the Eredivisie:
630k euros for players 20 and older, 315k euros for players 18 and 19.https://t.co/EI1FFes9kq

— Daniel (@DanielSmith1022) July 10, 2026

 

So that means fewer US players going to the Eredivisie, probably.

 

Maybe MLS should by a Portuguese second division club, as Portugal has the least restrictions on non EU players. Send some of our youngsters over there for a year to train and play competitively.

 

Whatever the sporting or financial merits of this idea, I endorse it wholeheartedly just for the popcorn viewing. Oh, the meltdowns and handwringing from everyone everywhere.

Especially if MLS as a league buys the team rather than some individual MLS ownership doing it.

 

If they do it, i also advocate moving and renaming the club. Maybe SC Real Sporting Disney Plus FC.

 

not Portuguese but a few years ago Bordeaux would have fit that like a glove before administration

 

Basically, not much is changing here with regards to the Eredivisie. They just raise this salary floor for non-EU players year after year. According to that article, it was 530k around 2009 and was up to 609k last year. Now its being set for this year at 630k for players over the age of 20. Its probably keeping up with inflation.........................

What are the effects of that? A non-EU player has to be a starting caliber player like Ricardo Pepi.

Its almost irrelevant for much of the league. Look at the salaries in the bottom half of the Eredivisie.

Sometimes I see data that doesn't match any of this and I don't get it. Esmir Bajraktarevic was 20 last year and 21 now. His listed salary is 390k. So what' gives? Bosnia isn't part of the EU. Why is he not paid at that elevated level now?

 

Are you really asking why some third party website hasn't update Esmir's salary the second the news comes out?

 

I don't know if this is the right thread but since he is now old enough to transfer to Man City and go out on loan, and everyone is hoping Cavan breaks out next cycle, I for one am quite concerned his coming major development window will be via Man City.

Now maybe he lights up MLS, and goes and breaks into City at 18 which is a massive leap. If that happens, great. But man if he starts getting loaned out to the continent I don't like that. Almost never works out as well as breaking thru at the owning club.

 

These are valid concerns. Look at Man City's roster........ how many 18 year olds are breaking into that team? Cavan has heaps of talent and drive. Man City is always going to be signing the best players every transfer window, and will always be looking to strengthen their squad.

 

Theyve got a pretty good track record seems of kids playing for their u21s and developing fine no?

 

How many of those kids go on to play for Man City's senior team? Cavan didn't sign a pre-contract with Man City just to play for their U21 team.

 

I think for Cavan the question is more which CFG team is he going on loan to and when

 

Also a decent likelihood he doesnt make it at man city so question is more how many players are successful in top 5 leagues that went through man city imo

 

Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Liam Delap, James Trafford, Brahim Diaz, Eric Garcia, Michael Olise, Jeremie Frimpong, Angeliño to name a few.

 

Why is that an issue? If Cavan is good enough he will make it somewhere and the City association will open up doors across Europe.

Take Malik Tillman as an example; He was on Bayern's books in the same class as Jamal Musiala and Tyler Booth. Currently all 3 have ended up at their right level.

 

Michael Olise is a stretch. He spent a season at City's youth Academy. The bulk of his youth was spent at Chelsea's Academy, and then Reading.

Delap spent 10 years in Derby County's Academy before joining Man City's academy for a year.

Angelino spent his youth sply between Galcia and Depo La Coruna in Spain. He was with Man City's youth setup all of two season..

Eric Garcia is a product of La Masia

Diaz spent the bulk of his youth with his hometown club Malaga, only staying in City's academy for a year.

Morgan Rogers spent his youth career with West Brom. He was not apart of Man City's youth setup.

Again, Cavan has heaps and heaps of talent and drive. He's going to play abroad. I don't know if he's going to actually play for Man City or one of CFG's clubs. All of the players Paul mentioned, most were loaned to teams outside of the CFG network. He'll likely be playing somewhere on the old continent for the 27/28 season.

 

What are man city’s fashionable pretend loan teams these days

 

Cavan will have spent several years at Philadelphia Union academy. He might spend a year at Man City then move. The examples above are relevant.