The 15 USMNT stars who could be on the move in Europe this summer

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, May 12, 2023

An unprecedented wave of moves is on the horizon for USMNT players. 

Just about every top American player based in Europe is a candidate to move during the summer transfer window, which opens as soon as June 9 in England.

Summer transfer windows:
England, June 9-August 31
France, June 10-September 1
Italy, July 1-August 31
Germany, July 1-September 1
Spain, July 3-August 31

In a few cases, players could earn transfers to bigger clubs based on their strong seasons. But others are approaching the end of their contracts, and their clubs need to cash in now if they are to recoup sizeable transfer fees they paid to acquire them. But the largest group consists of players who spent the 2022-23 season on loan, many on deals prompted by the need to find playing time ahead of the 2022 World Cup. 

With the 2026 World Cup just three years away, where they land -- and how they do at their new clubs -- has growing importance.

Here is a look at 15 players who will frequent mercato reports this summer ...

Goalkeepers:
Ethan Horvath (Luton Town/ENG, on loan from Nottingham Forest)
Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough/ENG, on loan from Manchester City)

First things first, both are involved in the Premier League promotion playoffs. which begin this weekend. If Horvath or Steffen takes his team to the promised land, he'll likely be asked to stay on. Both have been solid at their temporary homes. It's unlikely Steffen will want to sit again at Manchester City. Horvath's situation is more complicated. Nottingham Forest is in the middle of a relegation battle.

Defenders:
Sergino Dest (AC Milan/ITA, on loan from Barcelona/ESP)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG)
Auston Trusty (Birmingham City/ENG, on loan from Arsenal)

Dest will be on his fourth club in five seasons after Ajax, Barcelona and AC Milan. His move to Milan was a bust. Barcelona has expressed no interest in taking him back. Interest from Union Berlin and three Premier League clubs has been reported. • Trusty is a case of a Yank whose stock has risen (such that he earned his first U.S. cap in March). He's unlikely to break into the Arsenal first team but should move to a team a lot better than Birmingham City, 17th in the 24-team League Championship. • Robinson was mentioned as a transfer target of Manchester City and Newcastle United earlier this winter. That talk has quieted, but Fulham might still want to move him now. His value will never be higher after a strong 2022-23 season.

Midfielders:
Tyler Adams (Leeds United/ENG)
Weston McKennie (Leeds United/ENG, on loan from Juventus/ITA)
Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP)
Malik Tillman (Rangers/SCO, on loan from Bayern Munich/GER)

Musah, 20, is about to complete his third season at Valencia and set for his first big move, likely back to England, where he grew up in the Arsenal academy. He has started a career-high 26 games this season, mostly in his preferred role as a shuttler, though he still lacks for production (two goals, two assist in three seasons). •  For both McKennie and Adams, their situations become very uncertain if Leeds goes down. McKennie will be back to square one -- his permanent transfer is likely conditional on Leeds being in the Premier League next season -- while Leeds will have to decide whether if it can afford to pass on the offers that will come in for Adams, who impressed with Leeds before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in March -- on top of his excellent World Cup with the USMNT. • Tillman was named to the Scottish Premiership team of the year for his play with Rangers. In the next few weeks, Rangers will have to decide if it wants to make the move permanent, putting the ball in Tillman's court for him to decide his  future. (It's a long-shot that he breaks into the Bayern lineup.)

Center Forwards:
Ricardo Pepi (FC Groningen/NED, on loan from Augsburg/GER)
Haji Wright (Antalyaspor/TUR)

In April, Pepi told Voetbal International he doesn't want to return to Augsburg, and his agent followed up by saying Augsburg management has treated the 20-year-old Texan poorly. Pepi will move to a new club this summer if Augsburg can recoup the fee, reported to be $20 million it paid FC Dallas in 2022 for his transfer. Pepi's strong season with Groningen (12 goals, 3 assists) should make that happen. • Wright, who has scored 29 goals in two seasons in the Super Lig, didn't move during the January transfer window. Antalyaspor appears to be holding out for someone to meet its demand for 10 million euros, which it should get this summer from one of the bigger Turkish clubs, Trabzonspor, Fenerbahce or Galatasaray, or a smaller English club.

Wingers:
Taylor Booth (FC Utrecht/NED)
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG)
Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER)
Tim Weah (Lille/FRA)

Pulisic and Weah, the USA's starting wingers at the World Cup, are in the same boat. Both are in the fourth year of five-year deals and their clubs will want to sell them this summer before they become free agents. Pulisic hasn't played for Chelsea since April 15 and should be a featured attraction of Chelsea's expected clearance sale. Lille is one of the most productive selling clubs in Europe and should generate lots of interest for Weah and be willing to let him go, repaying him for his commitment to Les Dogues. • Reyna's continuing lack of playing time (just 199 minutes since his return from the World Cup) raises questions about his future at Dortmund though this week's Sports Bild report was the first mention (in passing) of Dortmund's interest in selling Reyna as part of a roster overhaul. • Booth blossomed after a move from Bayern Munich, where his future was limited, to FC Utrecht, which wants to sell him for 12 million euros. It would be quite the windfall since he arrived on a free transfer last summer.