Analysis

6 USMNT Players Berhalter Could Bring to Chicago

Alex Calabrese

14 Oct 2024 — 8 min read

Soccer: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022-Iran at USA

The international break is in full flow, and for the U.S. Men’s National Team, the Mauricio Pochettino era has commenced. Poch’s debut win against Panama on Saturday officially turned the page on Gregg Berhalter’s tenure, which ended this summer; at the same time, last week’s announcement that Berhalter would be taking over the Chicago Fire at the end of the season opened a new chapter in his own managerial career shifts focus in the Windy City toward 2025.

McKennie delivered in important moments for the USMNT under Berhalter. (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)

Berhalter’s five-year USMNT tenure was, at times, tumultuous – it was packed with many ups and downs as he navigated the world’s youngest national team through CONCACAF qualifiers, the World Cup, and eventually, Copa América. Throughout that spell, 111 different players appeared for the USMNT under Berhalter, demonstrating his deep use of the American player pool both in MLS and overseas. Three current Fire players – Kellyn Acosta, Chris Mueller, and Chase Gasper – are included in that figure.

This offseason, the Fire will make significant changes to their roster. As many as 10 to 12 players could be replaced in the coming months, and it would be surprising if Berhalter didn’t use the extensive connections from his previous job to build out the Fire’s squad for 2025. Here are six American players who could potentially be transfer targets to bring to Chicago.

Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo)

The most obvious USMNT player that could be primed for a move to MLS is Luca de la Torre, who made 17 appearances for the national team under Berhalter. The 26-year-old finds himself “out of the project” at Celta Vigo, and after an ineffective two-year spell in Galicia, he will likely be searching for a new club soon.

De la Torre showed extremely brief glimpses of talent with the national team in World Cup Qualifying but has generally seemed to be below the necessary level to be any sort of different maker on the international stage. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t thrive in MLS, however, and under a familiar coach in Berhalter, he might refind the rhythm that once made him a regular national team camp participant.

Though most of his U.S. appearances came off the bench, de la Torre would be an above-average, starting-level player in MLS. Should the Fire go after him, he would partner Kellyn Acosta in the midfield double pivot, and since that duo has been U.S. teammates for several years, they would already have familiarity with each other. De la Torre would likely be available on the transfer market for around $2 million, so this seems like a no-brainer if he’s willing to return stateside.

De la Torre has been subpar for the national team, but could be a major contributor in MLS. (© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

Aaron Long (Los Angeles FC)

Prior to the European emergence of the national team’s current youthful core, Berhalter leaned chiefly on MLS players, particularly in 2019. Most are still floating around the league, as the likes of Nick Lima, Daniel Lovitz, Corey Baird, Jerome Ebobisse, Jonathan Lewis, Christian Ramírez, and longtime favorite Wil Trapp continue to ply their trade at a variety of different clubs. However, the one that seems like the most likely Fire target is LAFC center back Aaron Long, who will be a free agent at the end of the MLS season.

Long’s national team career survived years longer than most of Berhalter’s other 2019 staples, as he actually ended up going to the World Cup in Qatar (though without seeing any action). His last national team appearance came under B.J. Callaghan during his brief interim stint in 2023. Though Long has declined significantly since his reasonably impressive 2019 performances, he will still be a fairly attractive center back option in free agency this winter.

Having celebrated his 32nd birthday this week, Long is not a young option. However, his quietly strong 2024 season, coupled with his familiarity with Berhalter, makes him a prime target to upgrade in central defense for the Fire. Long has started 27 league games this season for an MLS Cup contender and has played extensively with a potential teammate in Kellyn Acosta, including at LAFC in 2023.

Long was an unused substitute in Qatar. (Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports)

Bryan Reynolds (KVC Westerlo)

With Allan Arigoni’s loan seemingly not going to be made permanent after losing his starting job in the final part of the season, right back will almost certainly be a position Berhalter will have to prioritize in the offseason. Two longtime Berhalter favorites – Shaq Moore and DeAndre Yedlin – are among the top fullbacks in MLS, but their TAM status may make a move for either of them difficult, though not impossible. Reggie Cannon also recently returned to MLS, joining Colorado late this summer.

Another right back who appeared a handful of times for the U.S. over the last few years, however, is Bryan Reynolds, who Berhalter handed an international debut in March 2021 against Northern Ireland. He was also a part of the CONCACAF Nations League-winning group in 2021 and beat out DeAndre Yedlin for the starting job in the 2023 Gold Cup, but now finds himself stuck in Belgian League midtable mediocrity.

Though Reynolds’ European adventure hasn’t gone as planned, a move to Chicago could prove to be a career reset that he needs. The attack-minded 23-year-old is a good fit for Berhalter’s system, and his general lack of play-time with the national team can be attributed to the stiff competition provided in the positional pool by the likes of Sergiño Dest, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, Shaq Moore, and Reggie Cannon.

Reynolds was excellent in the 2023 Gold Cup. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)

Josh Sargent (Norwich City)

Josh Sargent was reportedly close to joining FC Cincinnati last summer, so a move to MLS clearly isn’t out of the question, and Berhalter’s presence may be enough to tempt the center forward to the Windy City. The Fire certainly don't consider center forward a priority position, given that record-signing Hugo Cuypers is currently the club’s starting #9, but Sargent can also act as a winger or second striker.

Stuck in upper-Championship purgatory, Sargent’s career is at a crossroads, but he isn’t the only U.S. attacker in such a position. Haji Wright, who has reinvented himself as a nominal left winger, has been depended upon by Berhalter in big moments, though, like Sargent, a move to MLS right now would likely require a hefty fee; Sargent was valued in the summer at $25 million by Norwich, while Wright would likely cost around $12 million.

Currently, a move for either current national team forward seems highly unlikely. However, as Sargent is one of the USMNT players most frequently linked with a move to MLS, he is worth mentioning, even if the striker position isn’t one that the Fire have any issues with.

Sargent was the Americans' best striker in the World Cup. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports)

Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth)

Though he never actually appeared for the senior team under Berhalter, Maximilian Dietz is certainly someone he’ll be familiar with. A 22-year-old center back who can also slot in the midfield, Dietz was one of just two members of the U.S. Olympic roster this fall who hadn’t been previously capped by the senior team (alongside Griffin Yow); however, that didn’t stop him from making a positive impression in Paris, appearing in all three group stage matches under head coach Marko Mitrović.

For Dietz, a move to an ambitious MLS team seems like an interesting next step. Former Fürth midfielder Timmy Tillman previously made the jump from the 2. Bundesliga to LAFC and excelled in midfield, earning a few USMNT call-ups this year, showing that the pathway is possible, and Dietz has performed similarly well in Germany.

This winter, multiple center backs could leave the Fire; Rafa Czichos and Wyatt Omsberg will both see their current deals expire, and Carlos Terán may explore options on the transfer market, so Berhalter will likely need to add several players in the position (and it definitely won’t be John Brooks). The well-rounded, versatile, and ambitious Dietz seems like a solid option to serve as the Fire’s third center back and would likely only cost around $2 to 3 million.

Dietz (left) started as a defensive midfielder against Guinea in St-Étienne this summer. (via FIFA)

Weston McKennie (Juventus)

Well, someone had to say it.

If any core USMNT player comes to MLS before the 2026 World Cup, it won't be Christian Pulisic or Gio Reyna. It will probably be Weston McKennie.

FC Cincinnati made an extremely serious push to sign the 26-year-old star from Juventus in the summer, with the U.S. international even visiting the team facilities before the Copa América. McKennie would have ranked among MLS’ best-paid players, and considering his inability to find stability year after year in Italy, he might feel tempted to take a big payday back home.

McKennie is one of the USMNT's brightest stars. (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Presently at the peak of his powers and a key player for his country, McKennie would undoubtedly be MLS’ best midfielder. The FC Dallas academy product is good enough to play a role for most teams in the world, so considering how close he reportedly came to MLS last summer, he should be a target for every team in the country that can afford him. McKennie is currently valued by Transfermarkt at $28 million – close to double the MLS record of $16 million set by Thiago Almada – but such a statement deal would hypothetically not be out of owner Fire Joe Mansueto’s price range. The midfielder made more USMNT appearances than any other player under Berhalter, and they clearly have a strong working relationship.

McKennie joining the Fire or any other MLS club is all but a pipe dream for the moment. However, his surprising flirtation with Cincinnati in the summer shows that it’s not impossible, and if any team in MLS can pull it off, it might just be a Fire organization led by Berhalter and Mansueto.