Cavan Sullivan: The future USMNT star set to sign with Manchester City after being labelled the 'best 14-year-old in the world'

Throughout the past decade or so, the Philadelphia Union have probably been the best club in MLS at producing talent. Brenden Aaronson, Paxten Aaronson, Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie... the list goes on and on. There are several players waiting in the wings, too, destined for their own European moves.

Sullivan is one of those players, as is his older brother, Quinn. You see, the Sullivan family has no shortage of talent, with the two brothers representing two of the jewels of the Union Academy.

Sullivan's father, Brenden, played professionally in his day before becoming a coach. His mother played in college, too. Quinn Sullivan currently stars for the Union, having made 86 appearances over the last four years, while the family's two other brothers, twins Declan and Ronan, are also rising through the Philly soccer scene.

Cavan, though, is the player in the spotlight right now. The hype is growing after he was handed the label of the most talented 14-year-old on the planet.

Throw on any highlight compilation of the U.S. Under-15s national team and you'll spot Sullivan right away. It's almost impossible not to with his bleach-blonde hair. Once you get past that, though, you'll see the player rocking it can make magic with the ball at his feet.

Sullivan really rose to prominence during the Generation adidas Cup in 2023 where, as a 13-year-old, he looked dominant against some of the biggest clubs in the world at the U15 level. Despite being two years younger than most everyone on the field, Sullivan helped lead the charge in wins over Valencia, Arsenal and Real Madrid, putting himself onto the radar of every European club watching.

"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, and is doing really big things," Union head coach Jim Curtin said.

His exploits weren't limited just to club level, though. Sullivan also led the U.S. U15s to a trophy at the 2023 CONCACAF U-5 Championships, earning the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament. That award came, once again, despite the fact that he was just 13 years old.

Big clubs started swirling, and the Union faced a fight to keep their homegrown star in-house.

For months, now, the Union have been trying to keep hold of Sullivan. A report from The Athletic claimed the club had made him the “best homegrown offer ever extended”. However, it appears that the Union could lose out to the almighty City Football Group (CFG).

Widespread reports say that CFG is closing in on a deal to sign Sullivan, who would have an interesting roadmap going forward. Unable to move to Manchester City until he's 18, Sullivan would likely be placed with one of CFG's other clubs starting at age 16. The club most often linked is Lommel SK, who play in the second tier of Belgian football. Sullivan has a German passport through his mother, which allows him to join a club in the European Union at age 16, which means a big move across the Atlantic could come as soon as September 2025.

The deal is not yet official and the Union will still hold hope of keeping their brightest homegrown star. One pathway forward would be Sullivan staying on until he turns 18, which would allow the Union to collect some sort of compensation for the teenage star.

Regardless of what pathway he takes, Sullivan looks destined for the very, very top.

The first thing that sticks out about Sullivan is, obviously, his maturity. Both physically and mentally, it takes a lot of maturity to play up in the competitions that Sullivan has. It takes even more to thrive in such a way that the world's biggest clubs immediately take notice.

“He’s got his feet on the ground, all this extra hype about him," said Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc. "It doesn’t go to his head and I think that’s the fantastic thing about him. It’s what also allows him to come into our environment and still be cool and be bold.”

Sullivan's maturity may be his biggest asset, but it's not necessarily what caught the eyes of those mega-clubs. His skills did, and he has plenty.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Sullivan's vision is already highly advanced for his age. He can make incredible passes that can change games, and he also can get goals for himself, too, with his strong left foot.

He had a pair of assists in the final of the CONCACAF U15 championship, a 4-2 win over Mexico. He'd already scored three goals of his own throughout the tournament, too, showing what kind of impact he can already make in an attack on the international level.

Mentally, though, Sullivan's got a bid of an edge to him, too. While facing off with Arsenal at the Generation adidas Cup, Sullivan inside the first minute. He promptly celebrated with a tea-drinking celebration against one of English soccer's top clubs. Sullivan was among the smallest players on the field that day, but he showed no fear, which is what makes him more than ready for whatever's in his path.

The thing with teenage players is that they're almost impossible to project. Some hit growth spurts while some fall into the wrong sort of situation. So much can go wrong in the 14-18 age range, and so much can also go right for a player who hasn't earned as much hype as Sullivan has.

For Sullivan to succeed, he'll obviously need to mature a bit physically. He's learned to play as a smaller player from years of playing up in age, but there's still plenty of growing to do. What makes Premier League players, in particular, so special is that they're not just elite technically, but elite physically. Given the fact that he's 14, it's impossible to project what Sullivan will look and move like in just a few years time.

Skillset-wise, he has the gifts. Mentally, he seems to have everything right too. Right now, though, it's all about how he matures in the coming years, both on and off the field.

Sullivan's rise conjures memories of another Pennsylvania-bred star that always seemed destined for bigger things. Yes, at one point, Pulisic was the rising star in the local soccer scene before he opted to forego MLS and move to Europe.

Sullivan looks set to make a similar choice. It obviously worked out quite well for Pulsiic, who broke through at Borussia Dortmund, won a Champions League at Chelsea and is now a superstar at AC Milan. Still just 25, it feels like Pulisic hasn't even hit his peak, too.

Curtin was involved with the Union back during Pulisic's rise, and he remembers watching him and realizing how special he'd be. But, if forced to choose between a teenage Pulisic and a teenage Sullivan, Curtin has his thoughts.

"We're from the Philadelphia area, so naturally people will make comparisons to Pulisic," Curtin told Backheeled, "and I put my hand up and say, when I was in the youth academy here, people talked about Christian and I just said 'I don't know. We'll see. He's obviously, clearly, incredibly talented and 12 years old here, but there's still a long way to go.' I think Cavan, even more so than Chrisitian, has stood out and turned even more heads. That's maybe the nicest compliment that I can give to a young kid that's still got a ton of years ahead of him. But it's not just me saying it, right? It's every scout not just in the country, but the world, so he's got the potential to do big things."

Any player would dream of having the start Pulisic has had. If Sullivan can somehow match the Milan star's rise, the U.S. will have a special one on their hands.

At the moment, the Union are easing Sullivan into the season. LeBlanc said that the teenager was "overloaded" in preseason, leading to a slight injury. It'll happen with his small frame as he adjusts to playing with players much older than him. At the moment, Sullivan is with the U17s ahead of the Generation adidas Cup later this month. He's then expected to play mostly with the Union reserves this season.

Speculation will continue about his future, though. Will he commit to Manchester City? Will the Union get a few years out of him, or will they lose their brightest academy player for nothing? We'll find out soon as Sullivan looks to take his first of many big steps towards the top of the sport.