Brenden Aaronson move to Leeds United draws reaction in American media
American media reacted after Leeds United announced the signing of USMNT player Brenden Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday (26 May).
The 21-year-old has signed a five-year-deal that will begin on 1 July, subject to him gaining a work permit, after a deal was reached for around $28million (The Athletic).
Victor Orta spent most of the January transfer window attempting to land the young American but was unsuccessful until now, after the Whites’ Premier League survival was secured on the final day of the season last weekend (22 May).
American media has focused on the step up for one of the stars of their national team, as Aaronson becomes the second-most expensive US player in history after Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, with MLSSoccer.com calling the deal “opulent”.
Stars and Stripes FC considers the step up to the Premier League as a challenge in terms of the attacking midfielder’s development, as he will “take on more challenging opposition” on the pitch and to get in the team, which might affect his chances of being picked internationally.
The fact that his former side Philadephia Union receive a significant sell-on fee of around $5million according to ESPN also gets a mention.
That is particularly the case for one of the team’s local publications, the Philadelphia Inquirer, unsurprisingly, who note that takes the total profit for their former academy player to $14million.
The Inquirer’s assessment of the Whites reputation stands out however, as they say: “The club’s ravenous, us-against-the-world fanbase would look familiar to Philadelphians. So would the fact that Leeds is a one-team city, unlike London, Liverpool, and Manchester.”
Ideal background
Fans in the City of Brotherly Love have a reputation as tough to please but devoted to their teams, and are not overly popular across the rest of the nation.
In that sense the new United man should fit right in at Elland Road, even if the club’s reputation among neutrals has improved hugely thanks to the reign of Marcelo Bielsa.
The focus on the team from across the Atlantic will only increase now that one of their most exciting players has joined Jesse Marsch, who was already a subject of keen attention.
If the American revolution continues, with the 49ers takeover potentially on the horizon, and mooted moves for Barcelona’s Sergino Dest and RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams tipped to follow, the club’s profile will increase hugely in the US.
The Whites badly needed strengthening and this is a very positive move, even if they have had to wait five months for it.
If he can translate his form in Austria to the England and flourish under Marsch it will go a long way to improving fortunes after a nightmare season.
In other Leeds United news, both the club and one of their star players would apparently accept a major move within the Premier League which fans will be desperate not to happen.