One U.S. men’s national team star is on his way to Chelsea the same summer another one left.
USMNT captain Tyler Adams will reportedly join the Blues this season, weeks after his teammate and fellow captain, Christian Pulisic, left for AC Milan on a reported $21.9. million transfer. Chelsea reportedly activated the relegation release clause in Adams’ contract, according to Italian soccer reporter Fabrizio Romano, for around $25.5 million.
Adams, 24, was only able to join Chelsea because Leeds was relegated to the second tier of the English professional league, the EFL Championship, after the club finished 19th in the English Premier League table. There was a release clause in his contract which allowed another team to pay Leeds a certain amount for Adams’ services, so long as Adams agreed to the terms of a new contract. And that appears to be the case with Chelsea.
Before this move, Adams spent this past season with Leeds following four seasons with RB Leipzig of the Bundesliga. He began his professional career with the New York Red Bulls of MLS.
Adams is perhaps most well-known for his time on the USMNT. He blossomed into one of the team’s leaders and anchored the midfield alongside Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie as the U.S. advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He was also voted as U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year in January.
Now, Adams will get an opportunity to perform on one of the biggest stages in professional soccer. Chelsea lost a plethora of midfielders, including N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount, this summer. Adams’ arrival should give the Blues more support in the middle as they look to rebound from a poor 2022 season that ended with a 12th-place finish in the table.
