USMNT transfer grades: From PSV's Ricardo Pepi and Dortmund's Gio Reyna to Holstein Kiel's John Tolkin and Austin FC's Brandon Vazquez, which Americans got it right?

There were rumblings early in the month but, by mid-January, it became pretty clear that Fulham did not want to sell. They had good reason, too. At the moment, Fulham sits ninth in the Premier League with very real hopes of pushing for a European spot. The player most important to those hopes? Robinson.

He has 11 assists, trailing only Mohammed Salah in the Premier League in that category. No amount of money could have made up for losing Robinson, who is arguably the Premier League's best at the position, halfway through the season. Maybe that changes in the summer. Big clubs will no doubt want to sign Robinson, who plays a position of need for several of the Premier League's best.

Maybe Fulham can be convinced to cash out in the summer. Perhaps Robinson will be open to a new challenge but, also, maybe not. There's something to be said for comfort and, with the 2026 World Cup looming, Robinson is already playing an elite level where he is.

Either way, this discussion will get revisited in the summer, and you can't blame anyone involved for pushing it forward a window, given how well this season is going.

GRADE: A-

On a personal level, this has to feel like a dream come true for the midfielder - and you have to take that into account here.

De la Torre was born and raised in San Diego, and he'll now return home to be a key player for his hometown team's first season in MLS. That has be cool, a feeling that can't be replicated anywhere else other than MLS. Was it worth trading a European career for? Some would certainly say yes. There's no place like home, as they say.

As for the USMNT picture, that's trickier. The midfield is more crowded than ever with performing well all over the world. De la Torre hasn't played nearly enough over the last year or so, this move to MLS may get him back on the field. Either way, national team or no national team, this has to feel good for De la Torre on a human level, and that's important.

GRADE: A-

We already have some significant data on this one, since Sands moved so early, and that data is positive. Sands has immediately become a key player for the Bundesliga side. He's already featured five times with three starts, with St. Pauli going unbeaten in those three starts. You can't begin your tenure with a new team much better than that, can you?

St. Pauli has Sands playing in midfield, but he could also play centerback in their back three if the need arises. Because of that, this feels like a perfect fit. This is just a loan, and St. Pauli still aren't totally clear of the relegation zone. Still, after not quite making it at Rangers during his first stay in Europe, Sands is already showing that he's a new player who can play at a higher level than before.

GRADE: A -

In some ways, this is a lateral move from one decent Eredivisie team to another. It is also exactly the type of move Booth needs right now. Just two years ago, the American winger was being linked with Manchester United but this season, in particular, hasn't gone to plan. He hasn't been used enough by Utrecht, featuring just nine times for 254 minutes.

At 23, these are key years and Booth has to play games. He's seemingly found a club that will let him do that without really taking a step down. Utrecht sit third in the Eredivisie. Twente sit sixth, seven points behind with a game in hand. Realistically, these two teams are in the same tier.

By joining Twente, Booth will now get a chance to play more in a league he knows well and has proven himself in. Because of that, this all makes sense.

GRADE: A-

There is some "what if" to this. If Pepi didn't get injured at the worst possible time, are we talking about him making a Premier League debut sometime soon? Interest from big clubs was very real. GOAL confirmed the West Ham submitted an initial bid and were prepared to make a second, but that was before Pepi went down with a knee injury after scoring against Liverpool in the Champions League.

In the end, the USMNT striker signed a new deal with PSV, one that provides security, and likely a bit more money, for both the player and the club. Pepi gets a much-deserved pay raise, PSV can likely sell for a bit more later on given the fact that Pepi is under contract until 2030. Ultimately, everyone wins. For now, though, it's all about Pepi getting healthy in time to score a few more goals this season.

GRADE: B+

It seemed as if McGlynn was bound for Europe this window. Then the Union stunned many by trading him within MLS to the Houston Dynamo. In the end, however, it isn't that surprising, as all parties should benefit.

From a Union perspective, they get some cash up front and a sell-on fee. The Dynamo, meanwhile, get a young American star that should take the team to another level before being sold for a profit down the line. McGlynn, meanwhile, steps into a team that is more in line with how he plays the game. This isn't high-press, energy soccer, and this isn't a team tearing everything down for a rebuild like the Union are.

More pressure will be on McGlynn now. He's impressed with the USMNT in the January camp, and will now have legitimate expectations on his shoulders in Houston. Europe will be watching, too. There was reported interest this window but, ultimately, the Dynamo won out by convincing the Union to trade him within the league.

McGlynn has shed his "youngster" label and is now expected to be a key player, which makes this a step forward for him.

GRADE: B+

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino has said that playing MLS won't disqualify players from the national team. That will always feel especially true at striker. If you score goals, you're in, and Vazquez will know that as he returns back to the U.S.

Vazquez will have to be the guy in Austin for a variety of reasons. First, of course, is the reported $10 million transfer fee to bring him in. It's a massive fee any way you slice it and, when you arrive with that sort of number, you have to perform. Realistically, though, Vazquez is tried and true, so Austin should be able to bet on getting double digits out of him at the very least.

What's the number he'll need to hit to stay in the USMNT picture, though? The striker race is deep and it is filled with players both in North America and Europe fighting for spots. There's a number there that keeps Vazquez right in the USMNT mix and, if he can hit it, then this transfer will be great for both the striker and his new club.

GRADE: B+

One loan ends and another begins - such is life as a member of Chelsea's loan army. Wiley's time at Strasbourg started well, but injuries took their toll, limiting him for much of the fall and winter. Due to loan rules, Chelsea needed to call someone back from Strasbourg and Wiley was the guy, leading to him joining Watford in the Championship.

It'll feel like a step down in level but, right now, playing time is more important - and the hope is that Watford can offer that. There are also real stakes for the club, which is hunting a promotion playoff spot. They play a system that fits Wiley's game, too, so it seems to be a good fit. If Wiley can stay fit, particularly in the rough and tumble Championship, this will be a good level to help him continue to adjust to life abroad.

GRADE: B+

His "Pirate of the Caribbean" nickname is tongue in cheek, but it should also be seen as something of a compliment. Scoring on the international level isn't easy, no matter who its against, and Ferreira has proven he can score in bunches, having netted 15 in 23 games for the USMNT.

Still, he's pretty far down the striker picture at the moment as he gets this fresh start in Seattle. After scoring double-digits in 2022 and 2023, Ferreira took a step back in 2024, scoring just five goals in 22 games. That form did him no favors, and now the 2022 World Cup veteran faces a real fight to get into the team in time for 2026.

Does the move to Seattle help in that regard? TBD. He'd been in Europe's radar and even had a move to Russia shut down by MLS, but that was a few years back. Ferreira only just turned 24, though, which means he still has plenty of time to make that big leap.

In Seattle, meanwhile, he'll be a key piece for a team that wins every year. He'll be surrounded by familiar faces and led by a coach, Brian Schmetzer, who knows how to get the most out of players. It's a great place to land as Ferreira looks to climb his way back up the ladder.

GRADE: B+

For a while, it looked as if Neal was the heir apparent at the USMNT's centerback position. He earned six caps through 2023 and, heading into the 2024 season, he was expected to take a leap. That didn't happen. Neal was relatively stagnant and, in a whirlwind 2024, he didn't get to play for the USMNT.

Now, after winning MLS Cup last season with the LA Galaxy, he's been shipped to Montreal for a fresh start. For Neal, that had to sting. He grew up as part of the Galaxy system and had reached the MLS mountaintop with his hometown club, only to be traded weeks later.

Still, there's a silver lining. CF Montreal have plenty of reason to be high on the 21-year-old defender and there's an obvious pathway to playing for him with the Canadian side. At 22, he still has a lot of learning and growing to do, and now he'll get that chance north of the border. This will all depend on how Neal evolves.

GRADE: B

He made the big move to Europe, but at what cost? We'll find out by the end of the season. Joining Holstein Kiel is a risk. The club is currently occupying a relegation spot following a 3-2 loss to Bayern, a match that served as Tolkin's first Bundesliga start. Tolkin surely knew what he was getting into when he moved to Germany and he surely understands that there's a very real possibility he plays in the 2. Bundesliga next year. That's not the worst thing in the world, but it isn't ideal, either.

The USMNT fullback will have to hope it doesn't come to that. Either way, this is one hell of a test of both ability and character as he leaps straight from an MLS Cup final appearance straight into a relegation battle.

GRADE: B-

It's hard to feel particularly good about this one. Yes, a new coach is coming in, so that could change the equation, but the facts are the facts. Reyna simply hasn't played enough, and this hasn't been a short-term problem. It's the reason he went on that ill-fated loan to Nottingham Forest last year, and it's the reason the world spent all of January waiting to see where he'd end up.

As it turns out, the answer to that is "right back with Dortmund" where he'll spend at least another few months fighting for his place.

If playing time doesn't change dramatically, we'll be back debating his future again in the summer. With the World Cup on its way, though, Reyna needed to do something. Time is running out - again - and if nothing changes, this summer will be career defining.

GRADE: D