The summer transfer window often provides make-or-break career opportunities for young players. The window serves as a snapshot of a player's value within the international market, but more importantly, it serves as an opportunity for players to advance their careers by moving into club situations that are better-suited for their playing potential.
Within the United States player pool, there are a number of players who made significant moves in the 2015 summer transfer window. These players are all in search of a team that is not only competitive within its domestic competition but also provides ample opportunities for consistent playing time. This ideal club situation ultimately has a large impact on each player's future role with the U.S. team, and it is important for each national team player or prospect to base his destination on clubs that provide the right environment and opportunity to thrive.
Here are the grades for six U.S. players who either transferred or went on loan in the summer window, including DeAndre Yedlin, Aron Johannsson, Tim Ream, Gedeon Zelalem, Miguel Ibarra and Bobby Wood. Grades are based on fit with their new club and potential to improve during the 2015-16 club season.
DeAndre Yedlin
From: Tottenham (Premier League)
To: Sunderland (Premier League)
Move type: Loan
Sunderland currently ranks 19th in the Premier League, with just 34 percent of its possession coming from the right third of the field, and adding Yedlin should bring more balance to the team when it looks to break down opposing defenses. The 22-year-old ranked second on the U.S. with 11 take-ons during the 2015 Gold Cup, and his ability to run at defenders should help a Sunderland team that ranked last in the 2014-15 Premier League with just 7.8 chances created per game.
The biggest question surrounding Yedlin's loan move is whether he will be used primarily as a right back or as an attacking wide midfielder in Sunderland's lineup. The club currently uses Billy Jones as a right back, and while the Sunderland defender made just 14 appearances in 2014-15, his four years of Premier League experience will likely give him a position advantage over Yedlin on a relegation-threatened team. Meanwhile, Yedlin has more opportunity competing with incumbent right midfielder Adam Johnson, who has made just one appearance so far this season. Yedlin's lack of Premier League experience could make it difficult for him to earn consistent defensive minutes for a team battling relegation, and he is likely to be more of an attacking threat who can create chances with his speed and athleticism in the attacking half. This should help a Sunderland team that ranked 19th in the Premier League with just 31 goals scored in 2014-15 and also allow Yedlin the opportunity to solidify a position that he can excel at on both the domestic and international level.
While last week I wrote that going on loan to a competitive English Championship side best fit Yedlin, Sunderland is a good match because the team offers Premier League competition. If the emerging U.S. star can earn consistent playing time, the level of competition he faces on a weekly basis will make him a better player for both his club and his country.
Grade: B+
Aron Johannsson
From: AZ Alkmaar (Eredivisie)
To: Werder Bremen (Bundesliga)
Move type: Transfer
Johannsson ranked third on AZ Alkmaar with nine goals in 2014-15, and the forward has also demonstrated that he can combine with teammates in the attacking third to create chances. Johannsson ranked second on the U.S. with five chances created during the Gold Cup and generally thrives in a dual-striker formation that Werder Bremen manager Viktor Skrypnyk prefers.
Most importantly, Johannsson has appeared in all three of Werder Bremen's matches this season and should continue to receive consistent playing time after the club shed its top scorers from the 2014-15 season. The transfer losses of Davie Selke (Leipzig) and Franco Di Santo (Schalke) represent 44 percent of the team's 50 goals scored in 2014-15, and Johannsson will be relied on to make up for those numbers by getting on the end of chances inside the opponent's penalty area.
Grade: A-
Tim Ream
From: Bolton (English Championship)
To: Fulham (English Championship)
Move type: Transfer
Ream was a versatile member of Bolton's back line in 2014-15. Even though the 27-year-old is primarily known as a center back, Ream made 32 of his 44 Championship appearances at left back in the 2014-15 season. Further, Ream's lone appearance since moving to Fulham in 2015-16 has been at right back, and the fact that he can cover ground in outside channels while also providing a strong, physical presence as a center back implies there will consistently be a place for him in the Fulham starting lineup.
At the same time, Fulham, which placed just one spot and one point above Bolton last season, currently ranks 18th in the 24-team Championship, with seven goals conceded, and the team's 83 goals conceded in 2014-15 were significantly more than the 67 goals that Bolton conceded last season. These defensive numbers imply that while Ream will have the opportunity to demonstrate the leadership qualities and strong defensive anticipation skills that led to him ranking third on the U.S. with 1.62 tackles per 90 minutes at the 2015 Gold Cup, it might be difficult for him to prove to U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann that his individual statistics and versatility at the club level can improve the national team's defense.
A team that would have better fit Ream is Birmingham, which currently ranks second in the Championship with just four goals conceded this season and also ranks third in the Championship with 15 tackles per game. Ream's ability to close down attackers and make timely tackles fits this defensive mold, and Birmingham would have provided a better opportunity for him to compete for promotion next season.
Grade: C+
Gedion Zelalem
From: Arsenal (Premier League)
To: Rangers (Scottish Championship)
Move type: Loan
Zelalem's strength is that he can work from both sides of the attacking half and can quickly process what's going on around him in midfield as he looks to create chances. Zelalem ranked second on the U.S. U20 World Cup team with eight chances created during the tournament. He also ranked second on the team with 14 take-ons, which further illustrates that he makes sound attacking decisions based on the movements of both his attacking teammates and opposing defenders.
At just 18 years old, Zelalem needs time to physically mature at the professional level. He is unlikely to immediately play in a starting role with Rangers, but he could combine well with central attacking midfielder Nicky Law -- Zelalem had two assists in his Rangers debut last week -- and overall will benefit from the move because he must use his intelligence and vision to be creative in a league that has a reputation for physical play. In the U20 World Cup, Zelalem's eight fouls suffered were the second most on the U.S. team, and if the midfielder can prove that he is capable of providing similar attacking results at the professional level for the perennial Scottish champions, then he will likely play a larger role with the U.S. team going forward.
Grade: B
Miguel Ibarra
From: Minnesota United (NASL)
To: Leon (Liga MX)
Move type: Transfer
Ibarra won the NASL MVP award in 2014 and followed that campaign by scoring three goals in the 10-game 2015 NASL spring season. The 25-year-old's performances in the American second division have led to two appearances in U.S. friendlies, where the athletic winger has demonstrated an ability to maintain possession and dribble at defenders to create scoring chances.
Ibarra's transfer to Liga MX club Leon is a significant jump from the NASL, and while the move to a foreign league suggests that Ibarra can continue developing a skill set that can differentiate him from MLS-based U.S. players, the winger must prove that he can consistently be a strong attacking presence in a first-division league. Leon struggled in the 2014-15 Clausura, finishing 17th in the 18-team domestic competition, and that has led to Ibarra making four substitute appearances as the team looks to rebuild its lineup and return to the top half of the table. At the same time, despite its subpar finish last season, Leon ranked third in the league with 27 goals scored, so as the season progresses, Ibarra could struggle to earn the consistent playing time he needs among the team's incumbent attackers.
Ibarra would have likely been better served on the Portland Timbers, who originally drafted him. The team already ranks third in MLS with 10.5 chances created per game but ranks 19th in the league with 1.1 goals per game and could use an efficient attacker like Ibarra who can create and score goals.
Grade: C
Bobby Wood
From: 1860 Munich (2.Bundesliga)
To: Union Berlin (2.Bundesliga)
Move type: Transfer
Wood drastically improved his transfer value in June friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands. The striker scored winning goals in both games for the U.S. and not only showed an ability to free himself from opposing defenders and finish chances inside the penalty area but also create chances for himself by dribbling at defenders when given space in the attacking third.
Wood struggled to earn playing time with 1860 Munich during the 2014-15 season and spent the second half of the 2.Bundesliga with Erzgebirge Aue. The 22-year-old's three goals in nine appearances during the second half of last season provided momentum for his breakout U.S. performances and showed that Wood was capable of manufacturing goals despite playing on a team that struggled to create chances in the attack.
Union Berlin currently sits in 14th place in the 2.Bundesliga but has already shown a desire to put attacking pressure on opponents. The team ranks sixth in the league with seven goals scored, and Wood has already scored once while starting each of the team's five games to date. Further, Wood has already provided a team-high two assists for his attacking teammates this season, and his omnipresent role in the Union Berlin attack should help him mature into a consistently productive player for his club and country.
Grade: A-