Tim Weah? Gio Reyna? Ranking the Top U.S. Men’s Team Summer Transfers

The summer transfer window slammed shut across Europe on Monday. And while no United States men’s national team members switched clubs on Deadline Day, plenty of Americans made moves throughout the summer. 

And if these players want to solidify their U.S. roster spots ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, these are places where they’ll need to do it. 

Here’s how those moves rank, starting with the most impactful:

Johnny Cardoso: Real Betis to Atlético Madrid

Johnny Cardoso joining Atlético Madrid highlights the transfers involving U.S. men’s team players. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)

Never mind that the 23-year-old New Jersey-born, Brazil-raised Cardoso isn’t on the current USMNT roster. Johnny’s switch from Real Betis to La Liga rival Atléti ranks as the fourth-richest transfer ever for an American, and he’s started all three league matches so far this season for Diego Simeone’s side. Atletico Madrid is among the world’s top 15 clubs. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino — a teammate of Simeone’s at the 2002 World Cup — said that he wants to let the box-to-box type settle in the Spanish capital this month. Rest assured: Cardoso, who spent more than a month in camp with Pochettino during the Gold Cup though injury limited him to just 13 minutes, projects to contend with Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah for a starting spot at the World Cup despite his struggles with the national team to date.

Tim Weah: Juventus to Marseille

Tim Weah is back in France, this time with Marseille. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)

Weah returned last month to France’s Ligue 1, where the New York Red Bulls academy product turned pro with Paris Saint-Germain as a teenager and won the league title with Lille in 2021 before heading to Italy.

Weah started slightly less than half of Juve’s games last season. He figures to play more regularly with Marseille. After debuting off the bench in the season opener, the 25-year-old was in manager Roberto De Zerbi’s lineup in the club’s last two matches before the international break. That’s good news both for Weah and the USMNT.

Malik Tillman: PSV to Bayer Leverkusen

Malik Tillman is already scoring for Leverkusen, who are in search for a new coach. (Photo by Jürgen Fromme – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)

Following his $41 million July switch from PSV, where Tillman won two Dutch titles in two seasons, the silky playmaker shook off the calf injury that prevented him from featuring in last week’s Bundesliga curtain-raiser by scoring on Saturday in his debut for the 2024 German champs. Tillman should remain a key figure for Leverkusen this season no matter who picks the lineups going forward. Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who replaced Xabi Alonso after Alonso left for Real Madrid, was fired on Sunday after just three competitive matches at the helm.

Matt Turner: Lyon to New England Revolution

Matt Turner is banking on a return to MLS will keep him as the USMNT’s potential starting keeper. (Photo by Jason Dalrymple – New England Revolution/MLS via Getty Images)

The USMNT’s No. 1 goalkeeper at the 2022 World Cup spent three seasons in the Premier League with Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, mostly as a backup. That was supposed to change at Lyon, but the financially troubled French giant instead shipped Turner on loan to the Revs, where the former Fairfield University walk-on won MLS’s goalkeeper of the year award in 2021. At least he’s playing. Since arriving back at Gillette Stadium last month, the 30-year-old has already appeared in as many games (four) as he did with Palace over the entire 2024-25 season.

George Campbell: CF Montreal to West Bromwich Albion

Could George Campbell play his way onto the USMNT roster? (Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)

Few had Campbell on their predicted roster for this year’s almost exclusively MLS-based January camp, but the 24-year-old center-back impressed Pochettino and his staff. After starting in the year-opening friendly win over Venezuela, Pochettino heaped praise on the previously uncapped Campbell, who left Montreal for the second-tier English club. He has now gone 90 minutes in each of West Brom’s last three games, during which the Baggies have gone undefeated with two wins. Given the USMNT’s severe lack of depth in central defense behind current starters Chris Richards and Tim Ream, Campbell is a dark horse to sneak into the World Cup squad.

Gio Reyna: Borussia Dortmund to Borussia Mönchengladbach

Gio Reyna got his move, and now he needs to play. (Photo by Howard Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

This was by far the most dramatic, drawn-out transfer saga of the summer among Americans. Heavily sought by Italian Serie A club Parma, the 22-year-old instead opted to stay in Germany, joining childhood friend and USMNT teammate Joe Scally at Gladbach. It was a curious move. Parma appeared the better fit. And Reyna, who has fewer than 1200 total minutes over his final two seasons with Dortmund, has yet to dress for his new team. He’ll probably need to beat out one of three entrenched starters at some point this campaign to have any hope of making his second career World Cup roster in 2026.

Paxten Aaronson: Eintracht Frankfurt to Colorado Rapids

 Paxten Aaronson is back in MLS where he’ll hope his time with the Rapids will boost this stock. (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The younger brother of 2022 World Cup participant Brenden Aaronson raised eyebrows in late August, when he left Germany after two-plus years spent mostly on loan to Dutch Eredivisie outfits Utrecht and Vitesse and returned to MLS. The 22-year-old, who previously played with his hometown Philadelphia Union, was immediately awarded both the No. 10 shirt and the central playmaker role under Rapids coach (and former USMNT standout) Chris Armas. After seeing Diego Luna and other MLSers emerge as national team regulars under Pochettino, Aaronson — who logged just 11 minutes during the Gold Cup — surely is hoping that leading Colorado on a deep playoff will help boost his stock ahead of 2026.

Patrick Agyemang: Charlotte to Derby County

Only two players (Max Arfsten and Chris Richards) have logged more minutes for the USMNT in 2025 than Agyemang, whose four goals lead the squad this year. Still, the 24-year-old Connecticut native took a risk when he left a starting job with The Crown for Derby, which finished 19th in England’s second tier last season. The Rams have been even worse so far this term, having failed to win any of their first four matches. Agyemang has yet to dress for his new team, having undergone sports hernia surgery following his $8 million post-Gold Cup move overseas. He’ll have to hit the ground running upon his return: Two of his main challengers for a World Cup roster spot, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright, are already proven scorers in the Championship.

Patrick Agyemang hasn’t played yet for Derby County and wll need to hit the ground running once he does. (Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Benjamin Cremaschi: Inter Miami to Parma

Benjamin Cremaschi will head from Miami to Parma on a season-long loan. (Photo by Carmen Mandato – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The Herons announced on Tuesday that the 20-year-old Miami native—a 2024 U.S. Olympian who has career three caps for the USMNT, including two under Pochettino — has been loaned to Parma for the rest of the Italian Serie A season. The Argentine-American remains the longest-of-long shots to make the World Cup squad; realistically, he’s more likely to compete for a place in 2030. But if Cremaschi tears it up in a top-five European league in the run-up to next June, who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

Get more from the United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more