With the World Cup four years out, American players no longer have to play it safe. The window is open, the risk tolerance is higher, and several USMNT pool players have already made their moves. Here's how each one stacks up.
The Middlesbrough Americans
Max Arfsten | Columbus Crew → Middlesbrough | $7.5m | Grade: B+
Boro now have three Americans on their books, and Arfsten is arguably the most interesting addition. The 25-year-old Californian is a genuine two-footed attacker — creative, direct, and capable of unlocking defenses from left wingback. The catch? He'll give you problems on the defensive side if you don't build around him properly.
Middlesbrough are built for exactly this. Kim Hellberg's preference for a back three with attack-minded wingbacks means Arfsten can do what he does best without leaving the team exposed. Even in a more conventional shape, Hellberg finds ways to get his fullbacks forward. The system fits the player.
Displacing Matt Targett as first choice isn't a given, but it's a real fight Arfsten can win. Boro finished fourth in Championship goals last season — if Arfsten adds another gear to that attack, promotion odds improve meaningfully. Championship promotion markets are worth watching here.
For the national team picture, Arfsten's ceiling is matchup-dependent. He's not a traditional left back, and with Antonee Robinson approaching 30, there's a role opening up down the line — but only if Arfsten demonstrates he won't be a liability when the ball is lost. A good season at Boro does a lot of work for him on that front.
Sebastian Berhalter | Vancouver Whitecaps → Middlesbrough | $2m | Grade: A-
Vancouver let their star midfielder leave for $2 million with a Western Conference lead and a Supporters' Shield race still live. That's a brutal piece of business for the Whitecaps, but Berhalter's contract was up in December — they got what they could.
For Boro, this is a savvy pickup. Hayden Hackney's move to Everton left a gap in midfield, and Berhalter steps in alongside fellow American Aidan Morris with a genuine chance to start every week. He strikes the ball cleanly, contributes from set pieces, and won't back down from a physical battle — useful qualities in a promotion fight.
The question that has followed him from MLS is whether he has the engine to dominate Championship midfields over 90 minutes. That gets answered this season. If the answer is yes, Berhalter could be in the Premier League within a year and pushing hard for a regular USMNT spot.
Reyna's Fourth Club Since January 2024
Gio Reyna | Borussia Mönchengladbach → Strasbourg | $5m | Grade: B
Fewer than 600 minutes at Gladbach. That's the entirety of Reyna's last chapter. At 23, he's already on his fourth club in 18 months, which would be alarming for almost any player. With Reyna, it's become the pattern.
The talent is not in question. He played alongside Haaland and Bellingham at Dortmund as a teenager and looked like he could be the best American player in a generation. Then the injuries came — and they kept coming. He hasn't logged 1,000 minutes in a season since he was 20. When he has played, the sharpness has gone.
And yet — that trivela goal against Paraguay at the World Cup reminded everyone what's in there. Pochettino backed him with a roster spot and it paid off in one moment of real class. That ability with the ball hasn't disappeared.
Strasbourg's ownership connection to Chelsea means a steady pipeline of players, but the attacking midfield spot looks open, particularly if Julio Enciso is moved on. The slower tempo of Ligue 1, compared to the Bundesliga and Premier League stints that chewed him up, could give Reyna's body a chance to actually hold together. That's the whole bet here. The talent has never been the issue.
Bryan Reynolds | KVC Westerlo → Stade Rennais | $5m | Grade: B-
Reynolds once looked like the USMNT's long-term answer at right back, impressive enough as a teenager at FC Dallas to earn a move to Roma. Six Serie A appearances later, that trajectory stalled. He hasn't been capped since 2023.
But he's rebuilt quietly. Westerlo to Rennais is a genuine step up, and the timing is good — the French club spent last season throwing center backs, left backs, and midfielders at the right back position. Reynolds comes in as someone who actually plays there, can operate in a back four, and can push into a wingback role when needed.
Rennais finished sixth in Ligue 1 and had six consecutive European seasons not long ago. This is the highest level Reynolds has competed at since Roma. If he takes it, there's a national team conversation to be had again.
Diego Kochen's Long-Awaited Shot
Diego Kochen | Barcelona → Lyngby Boldklub (Loan) | Grade: A
The U.S. goalkeeper situation has been a problem for a decade. Since Tim Howard in 2014, there's been no reliable answer between the sticks — and the World Cup made that obvious again. Kochen won't fix it this season. But this loan matters.
The 20-year-old La Masia product has only 37 appearances with Barcelona's B team to his name. That changes now. Lyngby just got promoted to the Danish top flight and Kochen is their starter. Regular football in a competitive first division, at 20, coming out of one of the world's most respected development systems.
Barcelona rated him highly enough to keep him as their third goalkeeper last season. Pochettino has already called him into training camps. The pedigree is there — the professional minutes weren't. Now they will be.
One strong season in Denmark and Kochen is in a completely different conversation — both for a bigger club move next summer and for a genuine push at the USMNT's starting spot. The U.S. is casting wide on goalkeepers right now. Kochen has the best shot of anyone in that net to actually deliver something.
