14-year-old homegrown MLS prospect headed to Manchester City

Pep Guardiola.

Critics of Major League Soccer are quick to dismiss it as a “retirement league” or a place where aging soccer legends go to earn a big paycheck for a light workload.

Recent changes to MLS’s scouting programs, however, have brought the league an influx of top junior talent, from Sweden’s Noah Eile to Argentina’s Federico Redondo. Now there’s another name to remember: American Cavan Sullivan, a 14-year-old attacking midfielder.

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Union and Manchester City of the Premier League agreed on terms of a deal that will send Sullivan to the renowned club after he turns 18. Sullivan recently made his professional debut for the Union’s MLS Next Pro franchise.

MLS clubs have invested heavily in their own youth development structures to grow American talent. MLS Next Pro, a league featuring MLS junior teams, debuted in 2022 and is growing in stature and popularity.

Now, the “retirement league” dig is off base because the MLS is one of the youngest leagues in the world and the most diverse by far.

Teams from around the globe are starting to look toward MLS for top young talent. Paraguayan youth prospect Miguel Almiron made headlines when he left Atlanta United for Newcastle in 2019. He remains MLS’s most famous youth export, but Sullivan soon will join him.

Sullivan’s deal shows how far youth development has come in MLS. It’s fantastic that he’s catching the eye of a Premier League senior squad at such a young age. Deals for players his age tend to be academy transfers rather than first-team discussions.

But it’s even better that Man City trusts the Philadelphia Union enough to nurture Sullivan for the next four years.

Man City is taking a risk by allowing its future player to remain in the United States during the crucial years of his growth. It wouldn’t have allowed Sullivan to stay if it didn’t believe Philadelphia had the intelligence, facilities and expertise to shape world-class athletes.

In exchange for developing Sullivan before his big move to Manchester, Philadelphia gets plenty of exciting opportunities. For one, it gets to play Sullivan in MLS, though we probably won’t see him on the Union for a few more months. (Freddy Adu, the league’s youngest-ever player, made his first senior appearance at 14 years and 306 days old.)

More importantly, though, Philadelphia gets a “sell-on” bonus from Man City. If Man City sells Sullivan to another club, Philadelphia will receive a sizable percentage of the sale. With comparable Man City youth prospect Cole Palmer selling for $52M earlier this season, the Union could get big money.

“Those that maybe haven’t learned yet, a young Cavan Sullivan has the talent and ability to become, I’ll just say, a household name,” Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin said, per The Athletic. “He’s doing really big things.”

Sullivan impressed for Philadelphia’s Next Pro team last year in the GA Cup, a global youth tournament. He also led the United States Youth National Team’s U15 squad to the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, earning the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the tournament.

Sullivan is a fascinating prospect for U. S. Soccer and proof that youth development has come a long way in MLS.

Retirement league? Not anymore.

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