USA Youth Prospect Josh Sargent, 17, Signs with Werder Bremen
Another U.S. men's national team prospect is headed to Germany.
U.S. youth national team forward Josh Sargent will sign with Werder Bremen, the Bundesliga club announced on Wednesday. The 17-year-old Sargent opened eyes at the U-20 World Cup this year with four goals and an assist, and he will lead the USA U-17s at the U-17 World Cup next month. The Missouri native can officially sign with Werder Bremen once he turns 18 in February.
“We have been keeping tabs on Joshua for a long time and so it isn’t a great surprise to us that his brilliant performances have attracted attention on an international scale. Therefore we are extremely happy that despite the numerous offers from other top clubs in Europe, he was convinced by our philosophy at SV Werder and that we can now oversee his development as a player and support him along the way. He has a great understanding of the game and he is one of the most promising talents of his age in the world,” Tim Steidten, Werder Bremen's head of scouting, said in a club statement.
Sargent's path to the first team appears to be set, with Steidten saying that he'll join the first team next summer.
"Josh will have time to adapt to the club and the city and at the start, he will train with the U-23s. Then from next summer, he will become a proper part of the squad," Steidten said.
Sargent, who previously trained with PSV Eindhoven and Schalke, reportedly chose Werder Bremen over the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, according to ESPN's Taylor Twellman, who came through the same St. Louis Scott Gallagher Development Academy club program as Sargent.
In Germany, Sargent will join the likes of Christian Pulisic (Dortmund), Weston McKennie, Haji Wright and Nick Taitague (Schalke) as U.S. teens with Bundesliga clubs. At Werder Bremen, Sargent will team with U.S. international forward Aron Johannsson.
Werder Bremen nearly had another U.S. forward, with Jordan Morris going on trial with the club in January 2016 before ultimately signing with the Seattle Sounders.
