USMNT transfer roundup: Matt Turner, Auston Trusty complete Deadline Day moves

Europe’s primary transfer window slammed shut across the continent on Friday, and while there were no truly blockbuster moves involving members of the U.S. men’s national team — after months of speculation, standouts Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna ended up staying with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, respectively — a couple of American players did switch clubs on Deadline Day.

Here are the five most important USMNT transfers of the summer.

From: Nottingham Forest
To: Crystal Palace (loan)

Demoted to third-string at Forest this season less than a year after winning the starting job for the Premier League club, Turner desperately needed a chance of scenery. He got it on Friday in the form of a year-long loan to fellow Prem side Palace. 

The former Arsenal backup will reunite with USMNT teammate Chris Richards and Selhurst Park. But playing time figures to be hard to come by outside of cup games, with England national teamer Dean Henderson entrenched as manager Oliver Glazer’s No. 1 keeper. That’s not great for Turner’s chances of keeping his starting job under incoming U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Grade: C

From: Sheffield United
To: Celtic

The good news is that Trusty, a regular for the Blades when they were relegated to England’s second tier last season, could play in up to eight first round Champions League games with the Hoops — including marquee matches against Aston Villa and Dortmund, and will the opportunity to partner USMNT veteran Cameron Carter-Vickers in the heart of Brendan Rodgers’ defense.

The bad news is that he’ll be playing badly overmatched Scottish Premiership opponents the rest of the time, except for Celtic’s Old Firm encounters with cross-Glasgow rivals Rangers.

Grade: C+

CM Tanner Tessmann

From: Venezia
To: Lyon 

Tessmann established himself as one of best box-to-box midfielders in Italy’s second division last season, helping Venezia win promotion back to Serie A. That caught the attention of clubs across the continent, including current Scudetto holders Inter Milan. A deal never materialized, and Lyon swopped in for the 2024 Olympic team captain last week. Tessmann made his debut in Friday’s Ligue 1 win against Strasbourg. But after paying more than $6 million for the 22-year-old FC Dallas academy product and signing him to a five-year contract, and with Lyon involved in the UEFA Europa League this season, it probably won’t be long before the first American player in club history breaks into manager Pierre Sage’s lineup.

Grade: B

CB Tim Ream

From: Fulham
To: Charlotte

The national team’s best center back at both the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa América, Ream left Craven Cottage earlier this month after making more than 300 appearances (84 of those in the Premier League) for Fulham over almost a decade with the London-based club. The starting job that wasn’t guaranteed for Ream in England is in North Carolina; the Saint Louis University alum played all 90 minutes in his Aug. 24 debut versus the New York Red Bulls, the 36-year-old’s first professional club. 

Whether he can stay in the mix all the way until the 2026 World Cup remains to be seen, but Pochettino saw Ream play in person often in England and knows what he offers. This transfer should keep the veteran in the USMNT mix for now.

Grade: B-

LB Caleb Wiley

From: Atlanta United
To: Chelsea (on loan to Strasbourg)

Given the purchasing team and the $11 million price point, Wiley’s move from the Five Stripes to the 2021 UEFA Champions League winners was big news early in the window. Whether it was the right destination for the 19-year-old was a fair question, though; the Blues have long had a habit of stockpiling prospects who never end up becoming regulars at Stamford Bridge, including American center back Matt Miazga almost a decade ago.

Left backs are always in demand, though, and Wiley is a legit prospect. He’s gotten off on the right foot in France, starting Strasbourg’s first two league games and entering as a second half sub in Friday’s Ligue 1 loss at Lyon. (Wiley had a gorgeous assist.) That probably won’t hurt him in the eyes of Pochettino. The Argentine knows Ligue 1 intimately after spending 18 months at Paris Saint-Germain and winning the 2021-22 title.

Grade: B

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. He was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports before joining FOX Sports in 2021, and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

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