USMNT Summer Transfer Grades: Gio Reyna gets another fresh start in France as Middlesbrough bet big on Max Arfsten and Sebastian Berhalter

For Arfsten: Basically the ideal landing spot. He joins two other Americans at a solid club with good history, and one with realistic Premier League aspirations. This gives him a chance to prove himself in the Championship, a league that is very different from MLS, but not a massive leap talent-wise, and hopefully kick on from there. From a USMNT perspective, this move will keep Arfsten in the mix, particularly if he proves he can play at the same level in Europe as he did in MLS. Grade: A

For Middlesbrough: Boro-merica is in full effect. The club has clearly spotted what they believe is an advantage in the market: USMNT players in MLS. That's why they keep making these types of moves. They see players like Arfsten as good value with high upside, and they have a track record of being proven right in Aidan Morris. The fee isn't cheap, particularly for a player with no European experience, so this is a risk, but their leadership clearly has a strategy here. Grade: B+

For Columbus: This is the situation you dream of. You pick a player in the draft, develop him into a national team player, and then sell him on for a hefty fee that can be reinvested into the team. Would it be great to keep every local star? Of course, but if you're going to move them on, do it in a way that makes everyone happy and makes you a bunch of money. A job well done here by Columbus, who can now begin a new chapter and find a new talent to bring through. Grade: A+

For Reyna: Another much-needed fresh start after it became quite clear that Borussia Monchengladbach couldn't give him the one he needed. This one is very fresh, too, as Reyna joins a new league in a new country, allowing him to fully turn the page on his Bundesliga problems. With Reyna, the big thing is fitness. If Strasbourg can find a way to keep him fit and give him the minutes he needs, this should work. If not, it's hard to see another club in a big European league rolling the dice on a player that has not yet shown the ability to stay fit for long stretches. Grade: B+

For Strasbourg: You can see why you'd take a shot here. Reyna is 23 years old, has plenty of senior experience, and was once one of the most highly-touted prospects at Borussia Dortmund. There is quite clearly a player there, one that hasn't quite emerged, and Strasbourg are betting on themselves to be the one to find that player. For the price tag, it's a pretty low-risk bet, particularly for a club that can benefit from its Chelsea connections and bring in someone else if it doesn't work out. Grade: A-

For Borussia Monchengladbach: They made it clear from the start: the squad was too bloated and someone needed to go. Reyna was an obvious candidate to do that. The fee isn't much, but it's close to what they paid for him. As Strasbourg will do now, Gladbach tried to unlock Reyna and never got it to work out. They'll be okay with moving on. Grade: B

For Berhalter: He surely turned heads with his World Cup performances, particularly with his ability to strike the ball, so this felt inevitable. With his contract running down, it was all about Berhalter finding the right landing spot. Boro can be there. He reunites with longtime friend and teammate Morris as well as Arfsten to form a trio of Crew-developed products. Berhalter is something of a late bloomer, one who has shown that he can change a game with both his skill and energy. If he can add the little nuances to his game, it'll take him to a new level. Grade: A-

For Middlesbrough: Boro looked at Berhalter, looked at their own midfield star in Morris, and then looked at how easy it would be to just put them together. There is immediate chemistry there, which should help their new signing settle both on and off the field. As an individual, Berhalter seems physically ready for the Championship, and his set-piece delivery is something that could earn you a few points you wouldn't otherwise get. For a team eyeing promotion, that could make a difference. Grade: A

For Vancouver: Making the best of a tough situation. Berhalter was likely going to walk at the end of the year, which gave them an impossible choice: keep hold of him for the rest of the season and hope you win something, or do right by him, sell him on and make a bit of money for your efforts. They went with the latter. It'll hurt their current team, no doubt, but it could be the right call long-term. Ultimately, though, the Whitecaps would prefer to have Berhalter on their team. Grade: C+

For Kochen: Whatever it takes to play. Kochen is now 20, so still a baby in goalkeeping years, but it was time for him to leave the Barca nest and begin his own professional career. Before that, he had plenty of time to learn from both training and the substitute's bench, but if he wants to be the USMNT starter this cycle, the fact is he has to start playing. The Danish league isn't the highest level, but it's a good starting point. As long as he plays a bunch of games this season, everything will be okay. Grade: B

For Lyngby: An easy win. You get a starting-caliber goalkeeper on loan from Barcelona, and you have a nice cheap buy option at the end of it that could help you earn a profit for your efforts. Realistically, this is a lay-up for a club of this size. If Kochen can go out there, win the job and develop into a goalkeeper worth, say, $10-15 million, this is an incredible bit of business. Grade: A

For Barcelona: This was the right decision for Kochen's development. The pathway to minutes at Barcelona is totally blocked, which means Kochen is now an asset, not a first-team player. To grow the value of that asset, Barca have sent him to a place where value can appreciate, hopefully to get some of that value back down the line. Ultimately, Barcelona don't really lose anything here, but they did right by their player while giving themselves a chance to make some money down the line, too. Grade: A