Former Union star Brenden Aaronson doesn’t want to discuss his club future yet

"I just want to focus on the national team," the Medford native and former Union star said as the U.S. prepared for the Concacaf Nations League final four.

Brenden Aaronson (right) and U.S. national team captain Tyler Adams could both leave England's Leeds United this summer.Read moreStu Forster / Getty Images

by Jonathan Tannenwald

Published June 13, 2023, 6:22 p.m. ET

When Brenden Aaronson sat in front of the camera on Tuesday for a Zoom news conference from U.S. national team camp, he knew he’d get asked about his uncertain future with Leeds United.

Aaronson took a lot of criticism from fans and media in Leeds as the club fell into relegation from the English Premier League. Signed last summer for $30 million, the Medford native registered just one goal and three assists on the season. In 28 games for the club after the World Cup, he contributed just one assist.

It didn’t matter that the extra burden of the first winter World Cup, jammed into the middle of the European club campaign, left Aaronson and dozens of other players exhausted. Or that Aaronson was hospitalized in early February because of appendicitis.

There is no time for sentiment in the English Premier League, except for the kind of sentiment that involves screaming at players and referees from the stands. His steal-and-score goal against rival Chelsea in August felt a long way away when Leeds went winless in its last nine contests to end up relegated.

When the Yorkshire Evening Post, the local newspaper in Leeds, did its equivalent of The Inquirer’s Stay or Go pieces for Philly teams, lead writer Graham Smyth was as blunt as this town is about the Eagles.

“After a pretty miserable first season of English football an exit appears best for him, especially if it lands Leeds at least a chunk of the money they shelled out for him,” he wrote. “Didn’t cut it, physically, in the top flight.”

Leeds has new ownership, an investment group run by the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. If there’s an opportunity to recoup some of that $30 million, the team might take it.

‘Tough in a lot of things’

So there came that question, straight up, Tuesday as Aaronson prepared for Thursday’s U.S.-Mexico showdown in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals (10 p.m., Univision 62, TUDN, Paramount+).

And back came an answer, politely, but just as direct.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, but I’m with the national team, so I just want to focus on the national team,” he said. “That’s where all my thoughts are right now, and that’s the only thing I’m focused on at this moment. So, yeah, I’m just focused on the next game against Mexico — winning this one and then going to the next one.”

Aaronson didn’t shy away from his overall feelings, though, about putting the club campaign behind him.

“It’s been a long season. It’s been tough in a lot of things,” he said. “But coming here and being with the guys, it’s great. I’m really enjoying it. We’re having a great time as a group, and we’re looking forward to defending our title.”

The winter World Cup forced European club leagues to start their seasons earlier and end them later than usual. Add last summer’s national team events on top of that, and players around the world have had a nearly nonstop run of work for two years.

Any player would be forgiven for wanting to head down the shore with the family and just chill out for a while.

“Yeah,” he said with a knowing laugh. “I’m looking forward to that. “That’ll be great.”

Many players in flux

Aaronson isn’t the only player with an uncertain club future. Tyler Adams also could leave Leeds, and Weston McKennie definitely will after completing his loan spell. Hershey’s Christian Pulisic, Media’s Auston Trusty, and Downingtown’s Zack Steffen also are likely to find new homes, as are Yunus Musah, Sergiño Dest, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, and others.

Asked if the players have had any conversations about club moves in camp, Aaronson said, “We don’t really talk about personal things.” It was another diplomatic answer, but it also made a point: One of the reasons players like being with the national team is that it lets them get away from all that.

Specifically, it lets them get away to the golf course. And since they had camp in Los Angeles before this week’s games in Las Vegas, there have been ample opportunities to play a different kind of ball.

“Coming into camp, it’s just about having fun, you know, and seeing the guys for the first time in a while,” Aaronson said. “We’ve had days to go out, enjoy ourselves, and not focus on other things. We’ve been able to just get out and enjoy each other and enjoy the training sessions.”

On to the games

Come Thursday, the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium will have big crowds for U.S.-Mexico and Canada-Panama (7:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network, Univision 62, TUDN, Paramount+), then Sunday’s third-place game and final (6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Univision 62, TUDN, Paramount+).

And there’s extra hype because of the expected debut of Balogun, 21, the new U.S. striker who was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents and grew up in England.

“On the field, he has so much quality so far,” Aaronson said. “In and around the box, you see how easy it is [for him] to score goals. So it’s really good to have him in the team and we’re really excited to have him — he’s an awesome kid.”

Aaronson also praised interim manager B.J. Callaghan, who knew Brenden and his brother, Paxten, when they were growing up in the Union’s youth academy. Callaghan won’t be in charge for long, but Aaronson is happy to see him get his moment.

“It’s great to see his rise, and great to see him get a chance as the head coach,” Aaronson said. “He knows how we want to play, he knows the players that we have really well, so not much has changed.”