Next year is a critical year for Gregg Berhalter and the United States men’s national team as they’ll be taking part in Copa America alongside CONMEBOL teams. Without World Cup qualifiers due to hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, Copa America will be a critical time for the USMNT to test themselves against world class opposition but for some players, they could see their spots in that Copa America XI at risk if they aren’t able to challenge themselves at higher levels.
With the winter transfer window slated to open in January, let’s take a look at a few of those players who need a move sooner rather than later.
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Gio Reyna, Borussia Dortmund
Reyna is fully healthy now but has only featured for 319 minutes in all competitions this season. Showing what he can do in every appearance for the national team, it’s confusing as to why Reyna can’t get into Dortmund’s XI, especially after being involved in 11 goals in all competitions last season despite limited minutes but plenty of teams around Europe would love to have the young attacker in their sides. Able to play as a central attacking midfielder or a winger on either side, Reyna brings impressive dribbling and vision to find his teammates on the pitch. Even if he doesn’t want to leave the Bundesliga, there are teams that could use an attacking midfielder but Reyna should have plenty of offers if a team is willing to meet Dortmund’s valuation for him. If Reyna is able to get a move, the consistent playing time will only help his national team future.
The goalkeepers
While Matt Turner is the number one goalkeeper in the USMNT pool until proven otherwise, some of that status is by default due to the lack of playing time received by his closest competition, Ethan Horvath and Zack Steffen. Horvath was directly impacted by Turner’s move to Nottingham Forest as it led to Horvath not being registered to the squad for the Tricky Trees this season but he also was unable to move on loan or get a permanent transfer during the summer. After declaring that he wanted a move during the summer due to his lack of playing time with Manchester City, Steffen then suffered a knee injury that has kept him sidelined. Rumors of an MLS move to the Colorado Rapids swirl for Steffen, and he is at a point where he just needs to play matches as soon as possible even if it means potentially leaving Europe for a period of time. If the duo can move during the winter window, that’s when they could be looking at actual competition with Turner for the number one shirt.
Brandon Vazquez, FC Cincinnati
Wanted by Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, Vazquez is on the cusp of making the jump from FC Cincinnati abroad similarly to his former teammate Brenner who has yet to debut for Udinese due to injuries. It’s unknown if Gladbach will come calling in the winter but there is still a need for a striker at the German club. A potential departure by the forward would leave quite a void within Cincinnati but it would also provide Berhalter with much-needed depth at the striker poison. Vazquez did have a dip in form following the summer only scoring six goals in 17 appearances in all competitions after the Gold Cup came to a close on July 13 but he still has all the abilities to help a team in Europe.
Miles Robinson, Atlanta United
A free agent with Atlanta United, Robinson could be in for a move no matter what this winter as there is open competition between MLS teams for his services but this is also a chance for Robinson to seek a move abroad. Now 26, signing another contract within MLS could see Robinson stay in the league for the remainder of his career which while it’s not a bad thing, prior to his ACL injury, Robinson seemed sure to go to Europe. With Mark McKenzie in Belgium, Cameron Carter-Vickers at Celtic, Chris Richards at Crystal Palace, and Jalen Neal rising fast with the Los Angeles Galaxy, if Robinson doesn’t take a step up in his next move he could find himself falling behind in the center back depth chart.
Jesus Ferreira, FC Dallas
There isn’t much more for Ferreira to prove in Major League Soccer. With 31 league goals and 10 assists during the last two seasons, at 22 there’s no better time than now to make a jump abroad. Able to thrive as a scorer or creator, a move would help Ferreira take the next step into becoming a more consistent scorer against top teams. Similarly to Vazquez, a move for Ferreira would help provide the USMNT with more depth behind Folarin Balogun because while the first XI for the USMNT has been great, roster spots 12-25 are what is the difference between winning tournaments like Copa America and the World Cup.
