Philadelphia Union starlet makes $4m move to Eintracht Frankfurt
Paxten Aaronson has completed his move from the Philadelphia Union to Eintracht Frankfurt. The talented 19-year-old heads to Europe after an impressive season where he helped the Union get to the final of the MLS Cup. They came so close to winning the trophy but for Gareth Bale’s last-minute equaliser which led to Philly losing on penalties to LAFC.
The Union announced the transfer on their website on Thursday, while writer Tom Bogert provided details of the deal on his Twitter account.
Paxten Aaronson has completed his transfer from the Philadelphia Union to Eintracht Frankfurt. The deal is worth $4m + add-ons + a big sell-on%. No loan back.
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) November 17, 2022
Aaronson, 19, is a highly-rated US youth int'l. A lot of teams wanted to sign him. Frankfurt should be a good fit. pic.twitter.com/zGF0NL9TcC
Aaronson was born in New Jersey and came through the ranks at Philadelphia’s YSC Academy. He made 24 appearances for the Philadelphia Union II scoring six goals and creating five assists before being promoted to the first team.
In total for the Union, he has made 41 appearances with four goals, including a fantastic left-footed strike against the New England Revolution which won MLS Goal of the Week.
Paxten Aaronson will move to Eintracht Frankfurt for $4m plus add-ons
He is predominantly an attacking midfielder, but he can also play on the left. Aaronson has also made 14 appearances for the US Under-20 side, for whom he has scored eight goals with one assist. He won the Golden Ball and Golden boot award whilst representing the side at the 2022 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.
He is yet to get a senior call up but if he impresses with Frankfurt there will be no doubt that one will come soon.
How have Americans got on in Germany?
Success for USMNT players in Germany has been mixed. Landon Donovan struggled with homesickness whilst a young player at Bayer Leverkusen and also failed to make an impact when he went back later in his career with Bayern Munich.
However, recent players have done well in Germany, with Christian Pulisic starring for Borussia Dortmund in a spell which earned him a move to Chelsea. Gio Reyna is currently at BVB and has already made 93 appearances for the side at the age of just 20, while Weston McKennie did very well at Schalke and is now at Juventus.
USMNT mater Gregg Berhalter also played in the country with Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich. Berhalter has included two German-based players for the Qatar World Cup, Reyna and Joe Scally (who is with Borussia Monchengladbach).
Moving to a Bundesliga side is a smart move as he knows if he impresses he will get first-team game action, which is crucial for any young player. At Frankfurt, he will be a teammate of fellow American Timothy Chandler and will be joining a successful side who won the Europa League last season, who are still in the Champions League this season, and who are currently fourth in their domestic league.
Paxten is the younger brother of Leeds United’s Brendan Aaronson, so a lot will be expected of him, with his sibling now starring in the Premier League after a spell in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg. The new Frankfurt player has someone in Brendan to turn to for advice about how to be a success in Europe.
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