TRANSFER MARKET
USMNT captain Tyler Adams reportedly has a relegation release clause in his Leeds United contract
The midfielder, recently relegated with Leeds United, is said to have a clause in his deal which could see him leave the club.
Tyler Adams, the player who captained the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup, has a release clause in his current Leeds United deal which has been activated by the club’s relegation to the Championship, news outlet The Athletic have revealed.
The midfielder, 24, signed for Leeds United at the start of the 22/23 season, when the team were under the orders of Jesse Marsch. The manager, currently unemployed, was sacked just after the 2023 January transfer window following a string of disappointing results that saw the club win just 4 games from August to February.
Leeds players suffered 60% wage cuts following relegation
Adams, ended the season with a relegation on his CV yet he is seen by Leeds United as one of the players around which they can build a promotion-winning side; along with Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra, the midfielder is one of the International-level players backed to shine in England’s second division. Leeds have repeatedly made clear their desire for Adams to stay for the season, despite the fact that he is set to miss the first few weeks of the 23/24 season following a hamstring operation in March.
However, things could change in an instant as it has been revealed by The Athletic that the New York native has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for a cut-price fee.
Following the club’s relegation, it came to light that the deals negotiated by then-Sporting Director, Victor Orta, who was also sacked during the disaster season, had included wage cuts of up to 60%, as well as various relegation get-out-of-jail clauses in the players’ deals, meaning teams could have bids accepted which fall significantly below the market valuation of the players.
Adams catching the eye of Premier League side
Adams’ fellow USMNT teammate, Brenden Aaronson, has also left the club on one of these pre-negotiated arrangements, moving to German side Union Berlin on a season-long loan. Robin Koch, Max Wöber and Rodrigo Moreno all left following the side’s relegation from the Premier League. As for Adams, Aston Villa are said to be admirers of the player.
Interest in Adams from the Premier League may come as a surprise on the surface, given he was a part of the club’s relegation team. But Adams missed a large part of the campaign through injury, meaning he did not contribute directly and as such, his reputation has remained intact. The player was also widely praised in the early part of the season due to some performances against teams such as Liverpool and Manchester United.
