Brenden Aaronson voices his 'respect and excitement' for Man City-bound Cavan Sullivan as 14-year-old gears up for record-breaking MLS debut

Earlier in May, in a landmark move for Major League Soccer (MLS), Sullivan signed the largest Homegrown deal in the league's history with the Philadelphia Union. The contract includes a significant clause: upon turning 18, Sullivan will transfer to English giants Manchester City, for a transfer fee that could reach up to $5 million (£4m/€4.6m).

Alongside City, Germany's Borussia Dortmund, known for its excellent track record in developing young players, showed strong interest. Currently, the plan is for him to gain professional experience at Subaru Park until he is ready to take on the challenges of the Premier League.

Aaronson, who played for Union Berlin on a loan deal from Leeds United in the 2023-24 season, expressed his admiration for Sullivan, who is being touted as the planet's best 14-year-old talent.

“I haven’t seen him play because he’s so much younger than me, but I’ve heard about how much of a superstar he’s going to be,” Aaronson told The Inquirer. “It’s really great for U.S. soccer, and it’s great for the Philadelphia Union. To see a 14-year-old signing professionally is definitely something that we don’t see very often in America. I mean, they’re young nowadays, but not that young. So it’s amazing to see.

"I give him full credit because he seems like a confident kid. He seems like he believes in himself, and he’s not afraid to do things. And I respect that because that’s what you need at that age. I can see a lot of things about his game that will help in the future for sure.”

Sullivan is the fifth-youngest signing to an MLS first team in history. If he makes his first-team debut for the Union in the Leagues Cup game against Charlotte FC on July 27, he will break Freddy Adu’s record as the youngest player to appear in an MLS game by two days. This potential milestone highlights the rapid trajectory of Sullivan's career and the high hopes placed on his shoulders.

Sullivan’s journey from a promising young talent at the Philadelphia Union to a future star at Manchester City encapsulates the exciting potential and ambition within American soccer. With high-profile endorsements from players like Aaronson and interest from top European clubs, his career is set to be closely monitored from now on.