Leeds United have agreed to sign US men’s national team winger and Philadelphia Union product Brenden Aaronson from RB Salzburg, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.
Aaronson’s transfer will be officially completed on July 1. The 21-year-old committed to a five-year deal, running until the summer of 2027. Aaronson will then join up with the USMNT for a June camp ahead of friendlies against Morocco and Uruguay before the Nations League games.
The Union will receive $5 million in their sell-on clause from the original deal that saw Aaronson join Salzburg in the winter of 2021. That brings the total package of that original deal to $14 million.
Aaronson has been a long-term target for Leeds, first identified by the club while Marcelo Bielsa was still the manager. Bielsa badly wanted Aaronson to be signed in the winter as part of the relegation fight, but Salzburg held firm in their desire to keep Aaronson and other key starters throughout the end of the season.
American manager Jesse Marsch took over from Bielsa on Feb. 28, long after Leeds had begun their attempts to sign Aaronson.
A deal was agreed between Salzburg and Leeds for the summer, pending Leeds’ Premier League status. On Sunday, the agreement was in place after Leeds avoided relegation on the final day of the 2021-22 Premier League season.
Leeds avoided relegation by three points. They were expected to go down before the final day started, with Burnley having a significant advantage in goal difference, but Leeds beat Brentford while Burnley lost to Newcastle.
If Leeds got relegated, the deal would have fallen through. Had that happened, there was no guarantee that Aaronson would have left Salzburg this summer. The club wasn’t actively looking for him to leave, only agreeing to a deal with Leeds because of the great financial gain and Aaronson’s desire to join Leeds. A $30 million price tag would be difficult for other interested clubs to meet.
Aaronson has made 18 appearances with the USMNT, a crucial part of his football career is being part of the team that qualified the United States for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
