DeAndre Yedlin Moving to Europe Would Be Best Option

The Seattle Sounders released a statement on July 6 regarding the future of their star right back DeAndre Yedlin.

In case you missed it, the 20-year-old was relentless during his three appearances during the World Cup in Brazil. He showcased his speed and dribbling talents against three of the top teams in the world, including 58 minutes in Team USA’s round-of-16 loss to Belgium.

Yedlin looks to have a bright future ahead of him after US coach Jurgen Klinnsman was questioned for giving the right back a roster spot. Now that the world knows about him, Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer released this statement on the club's website.

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DeAndre has had a very good season in Seattle and obviously had a fantastic World Cup. This has drawn lots of interest for him from leagues around the world. For now, DeAndre is in Seattle and we need him to help us win our upcoming games against Portland. If something transpires with a foreign team, we will announce it.

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Major League Soccer is on the rise but still nowhere near the talent of the Italian Serie A or the Premier League in England. ProSoccerTalk’s Kirsten Schlewitz reported on July 5 that Yedlin could have a preseason trial with Liverpool, while a report on July 6 indicated that a deal had been made to ship him to AS Roma.

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A move to nearly any European league would be a step in the right direction for the Seattle native.

Playing in Seattle is not an issue for Yedlin, starting 11 of the team’s 17 games on the way to a 7.11 rating. However, as said before, soccer in the United States is not up to par with Europe. That is where he should be playing while gearing up for the 2018 World Cup.

Joe Prince-Wright of ProSoccerTalk offered a valid argument on July 7 regarding the US’s top talent playing in Europe.

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Who knows. You only have to look at other U.S. international moving abroad, such as Brek Shea, Maurice Edu, Tim Ream and countless others, to see that joining a European club isn’t always the best option. That said, if Roma or Liverpool do come calling, it would be hard for Seattle to stand in Yedlin’s way.

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It is a very good point, but if the opportunity is there then Yedlin should pounce on it. If this move to Rome is true, he will get a continued opportunity to play against some of the top talent in the world. It is something he proved he was capable of doing during his first World Cup.

Of course there will be bumps and bruises along the way but that is to be expected of a 20-year-old rising star. The good will far outweigh the bad.

Seattle’s GM claims Yedlin is not going anywhere in the near future. But when the time comes, both sides should be in agreement that the future of the young speedster is better suited in Europe.

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