GOAL US writers break down the transfer window, with a focus on which Americans helped their 2026 World Cup chances
So, transfer season is done – for now. Are you not entertained? The Premier League had unprecedented levels of spending. Seemingly everyone else their best players pinched. It was a weird one. Never has one league been so dominant over all of the others.
But it will certainly yield a fantastic product on the pitch, and, let's face it, that's all we care about at the end of the day.
From an American point of view, things got a bit weird. No major USMNT star play moved to the Premier League, but there were still a few compelling transfers. Johnny Cardoso got a step up he perhaps deserved with Atletico Madrid. Malik Tillman, Yunus Musah and Tim Weah all bolted for greener pastures.
These are good things. But then there were a few confusing ones. Benjamin Cremaschi to Parma is puzzling, especially considering he was second choice to, ironically, Gio Reyna. Brenden Aaronson could definitely benefited from a move. Meanwhile, Josh Sargent decided to stick around – which seems to have divided opinion in the USMNT sphere.
It's all compelling content, though, and, with the World Cup just nine months away, should open plenty of doors – as well as slam a few shut.
GOAL US writers break down a frenetic transfer window in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
AFPWhich team won the transfer deadline? Which team lost it?
Tom Hindle: Liverpool are the obvious pick, but it's a bit mindless to say something so reasonable. How about Arsenal, who improved in a number of key areas? Victor Gyokeres was quite the coup, while they did well elsewhere – and Eze is an elite attacking player to add to their ranks, and perhaps replace the immensely frustrating Gabriel Martinelli. The losers? Newcastle. What a nightmare.
Ryan Tolmich: Liverpool are the clear and obvious winners, and not just because they spent the most money. They spent big, sure, bringing in stars such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to keep their title hopes alive. More importantly, though, they spent on players that will keep that window open long-term, even long after Mohammed Salah inevitably slows down. They didn't just find sidekicks for Salah, they found successors. Because of that, the Reds looked locked and loaded for the foreseeable future.
Alex Labidou: On paper, Liverpool are the obvious favorites. The Reds really went for it this summer, breaking the British transfer record not just once but twice in acquiring Isak and Wirtz. While one could nitpick about waiting until the transfer deadline to try to sign Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi – which ultimately fell through – overall Liverpool should be even better than they were last year. That’s a scary thought. On the other end, there has to be concern for Crystal Palace. There were already issues over the lack of recruitment, raised by manager Oliver Glasner, especially after Eze left for Arsenal. There was controversy with the club’s qualification to Europe following its FA Cup win, and now there are reports emerging that captain Guehi is furious at the club for letting the Liverpool bid slip through. It all sounds chaotic and very New York Jets-like – and maybe there’s no coincidence considering Woody Johnson, the Jets owner, took a major stake in Palace.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWill Josh Sargent regret not leaving Norwich?
TH: No, because he will score a lot of goals where he is. Sometimes guys need to stay – and that's totally fine.
RT: If he keeps scoring at this pace, probably not. The striker position is unique in that it is almost exclusively determined by form. Goals are good, droughts are bad. And as long as you have more of the former than the latter, you're golden. If Sargent does as well as expected in the Championship, he'll be just fine – and anything else would have been a risk. Could he have taken his chances? Sure, but there's still something smart about playing it safe, particularly in this position.
AL: If he can bring his early-season form into the September friendlies, then no. But that’s a lot of pressure – pressure that would have likely been lessened if Sargent had made the move to Wolfsburg or any other top-flight club in Europe’s big five leagues. Sargent is well aware of the narrative that he can’t score on the international level, so it's up to him to change that perception.
GettyWhich U.S. player should have moved but didn't?
TH: It would have been Yunus Musah, but he did well to finally get his move at the end of the day. Ricardo Pepi could have probably done with a transfer out of PSV, though. He's ready for a step up and hanging around feels a lot like stasis – even if he goes and scores a bunch more goals this year.
RT: You can certainly respect Brenden Aaronson's ambition and you can admire his willingness to bet on himself. The road to the World Cup will be difficult now that he's stayed at Leeds, though, as he'll have a real fight for Premier League minutes all season long. Thus far, he's played just 77 across three games and, while it's good he's playing, it's hard to find rhythm with that time. Can he earn more as the season gets going? Can he get a few goals here and there to show he can do it at the Premier League level? The answers to those questions will determine his World Cup chances.
AL: Gaga Slonina’s decision to remain at Chelsea all but ends his chances of featuring for the U.S. national team before the 2026 World Cup. The USMNT goalkeeper race is wide open – Mauricio Pochettino just called in Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann for the first time – so it’s hard to understand why Slonina didn’t at least pursue minutes in MLS or a lower-tier European league.
Getty Images SportWho improved their World Cup squad chances the most?
TH: Seems as though everyone is basically nailed down, move or not – which isn't necessarily a great thing, all said. The Benjamin Cremaschi one seems a good shout, though, especially because he could do with some positional continuity and the chance to test himself at a higher level. Right now, he seems to be a fringe guy, and good minutes abroad will do him the world of good.
RT: A bit further down the pecking order, but let's go with Cremaschi. Generally undervalued by Inter Miami, who used him as a gap-filler rather than a centerpiece, Cremaschi made the move to Serie A with Parma, giving him a big stage to showcase himself. If he can become a Serie A mainstay, it'll be hard to argue he shouldn't be in the squad next summer. It's something that didn't look likely in Miami and, while it's certainly not guaranteed, there's still a path there for him.
AL: Musah needed a fresh start, and he gets one with Atalanta. And he might have landed on his feet with this move. AC Milan have been a disaster since their title win in 2022 and are out of Europe this season. Atalanta are in the Champions League, have a style of play more suited for Musah – and don’t have the historically high expectations Milan do every year. And also, Cremaschi. Yes, it’s a long shot, but what if he ends up being a starter at Parma? Does that elevate him over a Luca de la Torre, for example? Every World Cup cycle there’s a player whose breakout happens at the right time. Cremaschi could be that guy.
