‘Medford Messi’set to leave Leeds following Premier League relegation
Brenden Aaronson has a special relegation release clause in his contract
Leeds United suffered relegation from the Premier League on Sunday, just three years after returning to the top flight of English football. Leeds finished the season 19th and bowed out with a limp 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur — a game that will likely serve as United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson’s last one for the club.
A report Monday stated Aaronson, a New Jersey native who only joined Leeds last summer, has a release clause in his contract that became active following the club’s relegation. It is probable that the 22-year-old will have another new home next season.
Leeds’ instability affected Aaronson
Aaronson, who played for the USMNT at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, joined Leeds in a $30 million transfer last year, a deal that made him the second-most expensive American player of all time.
Aaronson played 36 games in his maiden Premier League campaign, but the club sacked Jesse Marsch — the manager who pushed for his signing — in February. Leeds continued to struggle under replacement Javi Gracia before relegation was confirmed on Sam Allardyce’s watch. Aaronson did not start any of his final five appearances for the club
Thanks to the relegation release clause, Aaronson will likely be made available at a knockdown price. Several clubs figure to be interested in the US international, who has already made 29 appearances for his country despite his young age.
Aaronson, who can play on the wing as well as in midfield, emerged from the Philadelphia Union academy before moving to RB Salzburg in a transfer worth up to $9 million.
