USMNT player Tanner Tessmann close to signing with Lyon and revolutionizing the French midfield

If there is one thing European soccer loves, it's a good American prospect. Tanner Tessmann is about to be the next name with an assignment: shine on French soil. The US international midfielder, who recently led the Olympic team in Paris, is about to sign a five-year deal with Lyon, one of Ligue 1's most traditional clubs. This is, therefore, a golden opportunity for Tessmann to prove to the world that his capabilities will not remain in Europe but extend to the world at large.

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The 22-year-old, who made a name for himself at FC Dallas before making the move to Venezia, seems to have found the ideal destination to continue his rise in Lyon. Tessmann is very much in the mold that Lyon are seeking to strengthen a midfield that, due to his physique and quality with ball at his feet, seems tailor-made.

However, it does not seem like an easy negotiation. That's because Venezia want to get a fair price, the vicinity of 7 million euros, for a player responsible for their promotion into Serie A. For their part, Lyon wish to finalize the deal at about 5 million euros, an absolute steal if anybody asks me for an opinion, looking at Tessmann's potential. And why not? In one season in Italy, he has shown enough to know that he's the real difference-maker, seven goals and three assists to return his team to the top flight.

Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season and will be looking to better that position with some solid presence in the Europa League. And Tessmann, whose game offers both possibilities of playing defensively or near the attack, could be the missing balance the team needs. Moreover, it was coach Pierre Sage who wanted him, reiterating once again that Tessmann isn't simply a marketing signing but has some tactical importance to bring another level out of the team.

This could be the perfect transfer for the young American to establish himself as one of the leading names of his generation. The opportunity to play in a league such as France's—a league renowned for technical and physical soccer, will give Tessmann the chance to further refine his skills and show the world that he is much more than a promising prospect.

Of course, all this happens at a time when US soccer is finally getting a little more respect and exposure on the world stage. With the 2026 World Cup on the doorstep and coming to American soil, someone like Tessmann will have the opportunity to be an ambassador for the growth of the game in the USA.

Ultimately, Tessmann brings much more to the table than ball skills. He is symbolic of a new generation of American players wanting not just success but actually challenging themselves, to prove that the United States can become a power in soccer. Lyon, it seems, are about to make a sure bet. Provided that Tessmann comes up with something similar to what is expected from him, not only is he going to emerge a victor but that the frontiers between the top European leagues and American talent are increasingly getting blurred.