Brenden Aaronson, the USA winger, joined Leeds last week from RB Salzburg. The deal for the 21-year-old winger will be completed on 1 July, subject to work permit clearance, with Aaronson signing a five-year contract till 2027.
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch signed Aaronson while managing Salzburg to an Austrian league and cup double in 2021. Aaronson won the double again this season and helped Salzburg reach the last 16 in the Champions League. Able to play out wide or as an attacking midfielder, he has won 18 international caps and scored five goals.
Highly Optimistic
Brenden Aaronson believes he is just the type of player Leeds United fans want to see at Elland Road after signing for the Whites on a five-year deal. Comfortable playing on both flanks or behind a striker, Aaronson’s versatility and upside mean his signing could prove to be a shrewd acquisition for Leeds.
“I wanted to be part of the club so bad. That game meant a lot to me.”, he said.
About working with Jesse Marsch: “Yeah, it’s a factor, that Jesse was there, but it was all about me wanting to be at the club in general,” he said. “It’s a historic club. It’s a big club, and I want to be a part of history for them.”
“I talked to Jesse a little bit about it,” Aaronson said. “The fans, they’re amazing, and they’re always going to support you.
“And while it’s tough, maybe the media pressure and stuff like that, that’s something I’m ready for. I want to challenge myself mentally and physically.
“I got a little definition about the player that Leeds want, and I think I fit that.
“They celebrate a tackle like a goal, and I’m going to be that guy that’s not only going to be the creative outlet or the guy that’s going to be playing, I guess, the ten or winger or whatever, I’m going to be the guy that’s going to be working hard too.
“And I think that’s what Leeds is.”
He is likely to feature in the USA squad that will face England in a group stage game at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Starting his career in the MLS, he came through the youth system at Philadelphia Union and had a stint with Bethlehem Steel before returning to Union, from where he was plucked by fellow American Marsch in last year’s January transfer window.
During the 2020 MLS season, Aaronson helped Philadelphia win the Supporters’ Shield for the first time in the club’s history, whilst he was also named in the MLS Best XI at the end of the campaign.
