DeAndre Yedlin Transfer News: US World Cup Star’s Move To Tottenham Hotspur Is Official

The transfer speculation surrounding Seattle Sounders All-Star and Team USA World Cup phenom DeAndre Yedlin has officially come to a close. The Sounders announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to transfer Yedlin to the Totenham Hotspur of the English Premier League on an estimated four year, $4 Million dollar deal. However, with the MLS season still going and the EPL starting this week, many U.S. soccer fans are wondering when Yedlin will actually leave the MLS.

According to Seattle Sounders general manager, Adrian Hanauer, that part of the equation is not yet known. Hanauer confirmed that Yedlin would stay with the Sounders for the remainder of the 2014 MLS season and that it is unknown at this time when he will join the English club.

“We’ve had conversations about it and [the transfer will happen] certainly no earlier than the transfer window at the end of our season.” The GM told reporters in a teleconference on Wednesday. “The intent was that they would like to assess where things are at with their club at that time and potential work permit issues with DeAndre and assess how he’s been doing with us and whether it’s the right time to fit him into their squad.

MLS and Sounders fans will be happy to know that Yedlin is more than likely going to stay in the growing soccer league here in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. Before Yedlin can play for Tottenham, he has to first be granted an overseas work permit. According to our sources in London, securing such a permit is not an easy task. Work permits have postponed deals involving other MLS players’ transfers in the past, and it certainly sounds like that could be the case with Yedlin.

According to Sports Illustrated, players from outside the European Union have to participate in at least 75 percent of their national team’s (USMNT) matches during the previous two years in order to receive a work permit. Yedlin didn’t debut for team USA until January of this year and he didn’t participate in a match until February 1^st in a friendly against South Korea. With Yedlin ineligible to receive a work permit, it means that more than likely Tottenham will allow Yedlin to remain in the MLS with the Sounders through at least the 2015-2016 season.

Yedlin himself apparently was an important part of the negotiating process with Tottenham. According to sources close to Yedlin, the 21-year old winger wanted to cash in on his break out performance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and the Sounders were more than happy to receive the $4 million they got in return for their first ever homegrown product. MLS rules dictate that teams transferring their own homegrown players are allowed to keep 75% percent of their transfer fee. The Sounders will use the money received from Yedlin to sign or trade for players who can continue to make their team (which currently stands in first place in the MLS with the most points in the league), competitive for years to come.

Yedlin was discovered in Washington and was a part of the Washington Youth Soccer’s State Olympic Development Program. He joined the Seattle Sounders development academy and the Seattle Sounders U-23 team in 2012. He debuted in the World Cup in the second half of Team USA’s second group play match against Portugal. Yedlin immediately impacted the game by setting up his Seattle Sounder’s teammate Clint Dempsey who scored the go-ahead goal of the game.

Yedlin tweeted that he had the support of Team USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann as well as a picture of himself holding up a Tottenham Hotspur jersey. Yedlin is a Latino of Dominican descent, and a Seattle native. Between Yedlin staying with the team and the cash the Sounders received from Tottenspur, the team should continue to contend for the MLS Cup for years to come.