"The last 12 months before a World Cup are an exercise in balancing risk and reward for professional soccer players. Do you play it safe and stick with your current club even if it might result in some stagnation? Or do you take the ultimate risk and move to your dream destination, regardless of the World Cup consequences? Then, there's the third scenario: knowing a switch needs to be made, but being careful about where you land."
"It's a dilemma that past and present United States men's national team players have faced. In the last window, Gio Reyna moved to Borussia Monchengladbach; Matt Turner secured a loan to the New England Revolution, his former club; and Paxten Aaronson turned some heads by leaving Eintracht Frankfurt and landing back in MLS with the Colorado Rapids. Others, such as AC Milan's Yunus Musah, might make a move."
The 12 months before a World Cup force players to weigh staying put for stability against transferring to chase playing time and form. Options include remaining at a current club, taking a high-risk move to a dream destination, or making a calculated transfer to a club offering minutes. Recent examples include Gio Reyna moving to Borussia Monchengladbach, Matt Turner returning on loan to New England Revolution and Paxten Aaronson joining Colorado Rapids. Historical moves include Oguchi Onyewu to AC Milan and Stuart Holden to Bolton. The ultimate objective is securing a playing situation and form that compel selection.
Read at ESPN.com
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