14-Year-Old Cavan Sullivan, Union Land Historic MLS Contract; Okays Man City Transfer

The Philadelphia Union announced Thursday they signed Cavan Sullivan to the largest homegrown contract in the history of MLS.

There is a notable catch, though. ESPN's Kyle Bonagura reported the deal includes a clause that allows the 14-year-old to transfer to Manchester City after he turns 18.

According to Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Borussia Dortmund was among the other clubs that pursued Sullivan and had built inroads with the family dating back to 2020.

The teenager made the final call on where he'd eventually be playing overseas, but it sounds as though it was a family decision. His father, Brendan, told Tannenwald that Manchester City made an impressive pitch.

"The level of detail that Man City went down to in terms of the plan, the development, all the different variations and pivot points at which things could change, could toggle into something else," he said. "The level of scouting they did on Cavan, the level of scouting they did against other people in other countries all over, it was ridiculous. … We truly had to look at each other and be like, 'This can't be real, that they did this amount.'"

FIFA rules, with certain exceptions, prohibit players under 18 from moving internationally. Christian Pulisic was able to join Dortmund when he was 16 because he obtained a Croatian passport.

In the case of the Premier League, the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union ushered in more stringent rules for under-18 players. Because of that, Sullivan's dream of playing for Manchester City will have to be on hold for another four years regardless of how fast his game is advancing on the field.

Even without the transfer rules in place, staying stateside would arguably be the best move for Sullivan's long-term development. The Philadelphia Union provide continuity since he has been with their academy since 2020, and playing in MLS rather than one of the top European leagues makes it more likely he gets regular first-team action when he's good enough for the senior level.