With Leeds United relegated from the Premier League, American trio Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Brenden Aaronson will be facing questions about their futures with the team consigned to the drop.
Leeds finished second from bottom, with a porous defense sinking the team, and their 78 goals allowed were the worst in the English top-flight.
The three U.S. internationals at the club all joined while fellow American Jesse Marsch was head coach, but since he was let go earlier in the winter, they have found playing time hard to come by.
In the case of Adams, a regular starter for the club, he saw his season cut short by an injury in March, but McKennie and Aaronson were not consistent options under either of Marsch's successors, Javi Gracia or Sam Allardyce.
Now, the three will need to sort out their futures, whether that involves staying at the club and fighting for quick promotion in the Championship, or leaving for top-flight minutes elsewhere. The Sporting News take a deeper look at what relegation means for each of the three Americans at the English side.
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Leeds United will not trigger buy option clause for Weston McKennie, as it was going to be automatically activated in case of Premier League football next season for €34m. 🚨⚪️🇺🇸 #LUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2023
McKennie will return to Juventus in the summer. pic.twitter.com/ZqShI9t8IE
Tyler Adams future with Leeds relegated
Of the three Americans at Leeds, Tyler Adams had by far the most impressive season, though it was cut short by injury. His hamstring issue is worrisome, but for now, the main focus will be on his excellent performances through two thirds of the campaign.
Adams was impressive at the No. 6 position, proving impressive both on and off the ball. His defensive work rate was high, proficient at tackling opponents and clogging the passing lanes. According to FBRef, Adams was in the 98th percentile of Big 5 European midfielders with 3.72 tackles per 90 minutes, in the 87th percentile with two blocks per 90 minutes, and in the 81st percentile with 1.46 interceptions per 90 minutes.
Those numbers were fueled by Adams' ability to press, and he would be a valuable commodity for another top-flight team in that regard. He was also in the 64th percentile for progressive passes, showing that even for a player occupying a defensive-minded position, he contributes in the buildup and filtering the ball forward.
Having only just joined in the summer of 2022, Adams has a contract through the summer of 2027, meaning Leeds control his future. Yet if the club needs to generate funds, or if Adams pushes for an exit, a move is not far-fetched. Transfermarkt rates Adams at $21.5 million (€20 million), which could be a good enough price for Leeds to pull the trigger.
One potential landing spot could be West Ham, where Declan Rice is expected to depart for a large sum. Adams would be a great option for them to replace their England star.
Weston McKennie future with Leeds relegated
Weston McKennie's situation at Leeds is different from Adams and McKennie since he joined on loan from Italian side Juventus in the winter, but the English club's option to buy this summer will not be exercised, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Leeds United will not trigger buy option clause for Weston McKennie, as it was going to be automatically activated in case of Premier League football next season for €34m. 🚨⚪️🇺🇸 #LUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2023
McKennie will return to Juventus in the summer. pic.twitter.com/ZqShI9t8IE
That jives with reporting by Phil Hay of The Athletic, who indicated it was highly likely that McKennie would depart Leeds, set to return to Juventus. Reports in Italy say the same. Hay reports that McKennie would have been a likely candidate to depart even if Leeds had stayed up, as both parties are keen to move on.
The question then becomes what will McKennie's future at Juventus be? His contract with the Italian club expires in the summer of 2025, so with two years left, now would be the time for him to either re-up or find a new team.
If Juventus move on from manager Massimilano Allegri and miss out entirely on European football next season, there will be big changes coming. Midfielders like Adrien Rabiot could be moving on, which could open up spots for McKennie, but it feels more likely that he could be another one offloaded as well.
Italian reports suggest that McKennie has had interest from other Premier League clubs such as Brighton and Newcastle, both of whom are playing in Europe next season, but a coaching change at Juve could give him reason to consider staying. His future looks to be up in the air for much of the summer.
Brenden Aaronson future with Leeds relegated
While Tyler Adams could leave and Weston McKennie almost surely will, it felt that the most likely player to stay at Leeds among the trio of Americans is Brenden Aaronson.
Yet on May 29, just a day after relegation was confirmed, Tom Bogert and Phil Hay of The Athletic reported that Aaronson has a relegation clause in his contract, which is likely to be triggered. That reportedly makes it "much more likely route to departing the club this summer," potentially seeing all three Americans at Leeds set to leave the club this coming transfer window.
It's unclear where he could be headed. Aaronson was a regular under Jesse Marsch, but struggled to adapt to the Premier League, and he eventually lost his starting role once Marsch was replaced. Still, he remained an integral part of the squad through the second half of the season, and a move to the Championship could theoretically be good for him to kickstart his form, much like it worked out for Norwich City striker Josh Sargent, who also struggled in the top flight.
Still just 22 years old, and with a contract at Leeds through 2027, upon relegation it felt that Aaronson was the most likely of the three to stay at the club, as a drop in competition could help him regain his form, while also helping the club push for promotion. With the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra likely to draw greater transfer interest this summer, Aaronson could find himself once again as a key figure in the Leeds starting lineup next season, if he were to stay.
