On Wednesday Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the capture of U.S. national team defender DeAndre Yedlin from the Seattle Sounders.
Yedlin, 21, burst onto the scene this summer at the 2014 World Cup as he was a surprise inclusion in Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad. After some impressive cameo appearances off the bench the Sounders academy product was dubbed a star of the future for the USA with his pacey displays down the right flank.
Yedlin has signed a four-year contract at Tottenham as his remarkable rise continues.
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Premier League side Tottenham wasted no time in jumping in to snap up the speedy right back as Spurs are said to have paid a $4 million fee for Yedlin, making him the most expensive Homegrown player Major League Soccer have ever produced. AS Roma were also in the hunt but Yedlin is heading to England’s top-flight instead of Serie A.
The Sounders will initially keep Yedlin until the end of the 2014 MLS season and then he will link up with his manager Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane.
Speaking about his move to one of England’s most famous clubs, Yedlin had the following to say to Spurs’ website.
“I’m very excited to come to the Premier League and challenge myself against some of the best players in the world,” Yedlin said, “It’s a great team with a new coach and a style that suits the way I play. That’s a big reason I made the decision. I’ve talked to Jurgen Klinsmann a lot about this move and he supports it, which was one of the big reasons behind the decision.”
There is some confusion as to when Yedlin will leave Seattle, as Spurs said in their statement that “DeAndre has signed a four-year contract and will remain with Sounders before joining us ahead of the 2015/16 season.” Whether that means he will spend the start of the 2015 MLS season with Seattle, then switch to Spurs over the summer, it is not yet known. However it shakes out, Yedlin must have impressed Spurs during their preseason tour of the U.S. this summer as Tottenham and Seattle battled it out to a 3-3 draw at CenturyLink Field in July.
This move caps a meteoric rise for Yedlin, as the two-time MLS All-Star has gone from University of Akron to the Premier League in just over two years.
With Klinsmann’s close links at Spurs and Pochettino known as a manager to give young players a chance, Yedlin may well have found the perfect new home in North London. He will join current American goalkeeper Brad Friedel on Spurs’ roster and follow in the footsteps of his U.S national team captain Clint Dempsey by suiting up for Tottenham.
Yedlin has made 52 appearances in all competitions for the Sounders and will remain in the Emerald City his hometown, to try and win the 2014 MLS Cup. The Sounders are currently top of the Western Conference and are leading the Supporters’ Shield race.
Before Yedlin heads off to the PL to play for Spurs, he has some business to finish in MLS. Winning some silverware for Seattle.
