Matt Turner's troubles, Malik Tillman's triumphs, Auston Trusty's trustworthiness: Grading the USMNT's summer transfers

Turner knew what he was signing up for - nothing but different than at Nottingham Forrest, to be honest. At Palace, he was always going to be a backup, and that's exactly where he stands.

Since making the move to London, Turner has played just 90 minutes, starting and winning a Leagues Cup clash with Aston Villa. Outside of that, he's just been Dean Henderson's backup, and that doesn't look to be changing any time soon. What's next for Turner? Right now, he's just biding his time, and it looks like he'll be doing that for a while.

GRADE: D-

Slonina was loaned to third-division Barnsley to get playing time, but an injury has derailed that. After starting 11 games between August and October, Slonina was benched in favor of 29-year-old veteran Ben Killip. He then suffered a hand injury, one that has kept him out for the last month or so.

That's not what you want for a 20-year-old goalkeeper, one who, more than anything, needs the experience that comes with playing regularly. We'll see how things go when Slonina's hand heals, but, this hasn't been .... great. Maybe this is the adversity he needs to take a big leap forward but, at the moment, it's been the toughest run of his career so far.

GRADE: D

It al started well, with Wiley making an immediate impact for Strasbourg in Ligue 1. Then came the injuries. First it was knee tendinitis, which kept him out for a month-and-a-half. Now, it's a separated shoulder, one that will keep Wiley out for some time.

Generally, this was all trending positive, but you can never fully account for how injuries can change things in a flash. Once Wiley is healthy, we'll see what type of team he walks back into as he continues to adjust to the European game after leaving Atlanta.

GRADE: C+

This was always going to be a big leap, and it was always going to be a difficult starting XI to crack, particularly for a young midfielder. Tanner Tessmann has played 222 Ligue 1 minutes, having started two of his eight appearances this season.

More notably, though, he's played significant minutes in the Europa League, starting three games and coming off the bench in another to get his first tastes of continental competition. With those experiences in his back pocket, Tessmann ran the show for the USMNT in last month's Nation's League match against Jamaica, showing newfound confidence in midfield.

If he can continue to build on that, everyone will be happy with this move.

GRADE: B

He was a key piece of Charlotte FC's run to the MLS Playoffs, and he'll be an even bigger piece of their team next season. Still, we have to look at Ream's move through a USMNT lens - will it be enough to keep him in the picture?

The answer might just be "yes", as long as Ream continues to play at a high level for Charlotte. The margins are finer now that he's not playing at Fulham anymore, but Pochettino has said he has no issues with calling in MLS players. That obviously applies to Ream, whose leadership and experience remain vital for the USMNT.

We'll have to see what form Ream is in next season, particularly after this much-deserved offseason break. But this move hasn't harmed him at all from a USMNT perspective.

GRADE: B+

Mark McKenzie was due for a step up, having proved all he could during his time at Genk. The transition to a much better league, Ligue 1, has been seamless. The defender has started 12 games for Toulouse, having shown that he can jump right into the club's starting XI with little time to adjust.

No one is mistaking Toulouse for a Ligue 1 power, but they're as close to a European place as they are to a relegation spot right now, so that's something. They key for McKenzie was proving that he can play at a higher level than he has before. Mission accomplished (so far).

Grade: A

"It's fierce, man. It is the sickest environment ever."

That's what Auston Trusty told GOAL about Champions League nights at Celtic Park. Since joining from relegated Sheffield United, Trusty has gotten several cracks at nights like that while continuing Celtic's dominance in the Scottish league. Partnering Cameron Carter-Vickers, Trusty is helping lead the charge as Celtic look to hang on to a spot in the knockouts.

He's not playing in the Premier League, but Trusty is also playing at a higher level than ever before: the Champions League. The longer Celtic stay in, the better, especially as Trusty looks to push for a USMNT place.

GRADE: A

As the calendar turns to 2025, Morris has established himself as a trusted USMNT piece for new coach Mauricio Pochettino. That tells you all you need to know about how his move to Boro has gone.

Morris has had no issues adjusting to the rough-and-tumble Championship, having now featured 15 times in the league with 14 starts. Learning under Manchester United legend Michael Carrick has been a big boost for Morris, who is now taking "the leap" as a midfielder for both Middlesbrough and the USMNT.

He still has more developing to do but, given what we've seen in these first few months, he's in a good place to do it.

GRADE: A+

There was no mystery about this one, as Tillman had already spent a season with the club on loan. What makes this so successful is that it seems as if he won't be at PSV for long.

With no place for him in the first team, Bayern sold Tillman to PSV, and Tillman has responded by lighting up the Dutch league. He has three goals and two assists in the Champions League to go with six goals and an assist in the league, proving he's evolved as PSV's creative hub.

Megaclubs are certainly watching now and what they're seeing is a player that looks destined to play at an even higher level.

GRADE: A+