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Liverpool should fulfill transfer dream of USMNT trialist following Darwin Núñez path
Liverpool may have US-based owners but the club’s affiliation with US players is few and far between. Under FSG, Liverpool has only ever signed academy players like Marc Pelosi and Lennon Brooks or Keyrol Figueroa currently on the books, but has never made a USMNT international transfer for the first team.
In the next decade or so that might change. Things are changing rapidly in the US, and the popularity and quality of ‘soccer’ is growing in the country. With the MLS now a strong export for players moving to Europe, the landscape of US football could be completely different in 10 years.
One of the best demonstrations of this brewing change has been the USMNT’s performance at the U20 World Cup in Argentina at the moment.
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Unbeaten in four games, the US has cruised comfortably to the quarter-finals of the tournament, conceding zero goals and scoring 10 in the process.
One of the stars of the team could be someone who might eventually become a first-team signing for Liverpool as well in Brandan Craig.
The Philadelphia Union center-back will be very familiar to the academy coaching staff at Anfield after he spent a prolonged trial with the club’s academy back in the summer of 2019.
That period was successful for Craig, who was trialed in a number of positions and has continued to build on the experience at youth level, captaining Philadelphia Union’s youth teams at various levels.
At the U20 World Cup, he has been part of a successful back-three and has again stood out for the kind of qualities that are needed in Jürgen Klopp’s first team at Liverpool. Not only is Craig relatively quick, but he is also extremely composed and pressure resistant, making him a complete ball-playing center-back.
The fact that the US still hasn’t conceded at the tournament is very much to his credit as well, with Craig producing some solid performances.
At Philadelphia, Craig hasn’t quite had the breakthrough he would have hoped for when he made his debut in the MLS last season, but that’s not down to his performances. The club has two MVPs at center-back in Jakob Glesnes and Jack Elliott, who have blocked his pathway into the first team this season.
On top of that, Jim Curtin isn’t necessarily known for giving youngsters a lot of opportunities in the first place.
But even without a breakthrough at senior level on the back of these performances, there is bound to be interest in Craig from Europe and beyond. The U20 World Cup is a tournament where the likes of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona first made their mark. It was on the back of this competition that Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez earned a move to Europe.
That seems to be the goal for Craig as well. Speaking to CBS Sports Golazo, he has revealed he dreams of playing in the Premier League and the Champions League.
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“My main goal is to play Champions League football, Premier League, or any top-five league in the world,” Craig said.
Liverpool of course doesn’t have Champions League football next season, but the club’s vision aligns with Craig, as the Reds will very much want to return to Europe’s elite competition.
And at this rate, if Craig continues to impress, the next time Liverpool will be back in the Champions League, the club might even have their first-ever USMNT international in the first team under FSG’s ownership.
Having watched him closely over the years and even monitored his ability on a trial, a move for Craig would make absolute sense for Liverpool. He is definitely a player worth taking a punt on with a lot of exciting raw potential that can be harnessed at Anfield.
