Premier League side Leeds United want American midfielder Brenden Aaronson but had an offer in the range of $20 million rejected by his club RB Salzburg, according to The Athletic. The 21-year-old New Jersey-born attacking midfielder started his MLS career out with the Philadelphia Union before joining coach Jesse Marsch at Salzburg. There he’s been a key contributor for the Austrian Bundesliga leaders, even after Marsch left for RB Leipzig (a marriage which only lasted a few months before he was let go), and continues to be a regular starter for a team that has a 14-point lead atop the table.
Aaronson, with five United States men’s national team goals to his name, has 10 goals in 46 matches for his European club. And while a move to the Premier League would be tempting for the player and a step up in competition, there’s one thing he’s getting at Salzburg that he wouldn’t, for now, at Leeds — European football. Salzburg managed to finish in second place in the Champions League’s Group G, meaning they’ll now face mighty Bayern Munich in the round of 16 next month. At the Austrian club he has a consistent opportunity to play, and in in elite continental competitions.
He’s already won the Austrian Bundesliga and the Austrian Cup with Salzburg and will likely bring home more hardware this season. It’s expected that he’ll move to a bigger league in time due to his consistent performances, but Salzburg know that his value could increase substantially, especially if they manage to hold onto him through the World Cup next November in Qatar where Aaronson would have the potential opportunity to shine on an even bigger stage.
KVSP