Malik Jakupovic Could Follow in Cavan Sullivan’s Footsteps With Premier League Switch

Cavan Sullivan might be stealing the show at Philadelphia Union, but there’s another teenager slowly making a name for himself at Subaru Park: Malik Jakupovic.

The 17-year-old, who is under contract through 2030 with an option to extend another season, has operated quietly in the shadows, making cameo appearances for the first team. He’s not breaking records like Sullivan, nor is he commanding starting minutes like fellow young American Neil Pierre.

Jakupovic is more of a slow burn. The Michigan-native only made his MLS debut back in March, and he is still waiting for his first start. Only two of his last five appearances have been for longer than one minute.

But the potential is there, so much so that clubs across Europe are paying close attention to Jakupovic. The striker already received interest from Borussia Dortmund over the summer, with reports claiming the Union rejected a bid from the German outfit for their young gem.

Now even more clubs are coming to the party, eager to potentially snatch up the next young American goalscorer. Links to the Premier League are swirling, while Bundesliga ties seemingly remain strong.

This much transfer activity, for a player with one senior goal to his name, speaks volumes, as do Jakupovic’s contributions in MLS NEXT Pro.

From Academy Standout to Burgeoning Star

Malik Jakupovic bagged his first MLS goal in September. | Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

Three years ago, Jakupovic joined the Union’s academy. At 14 years old, the forward made Philadelphia his new home, hoping to rise through the ranks and one day help the club lift its first-ever MLS Cup.

By the time 2025 rolled around, Jakupovic was staking his place with the Union’s reserve team. The teenager made 19 appearances in MLS NEXT Pro and found the back of the net eight times along the way, becoming the team’s second-highest goalscorer in his first campaign.

The Union took notice, calling up Jakupovic for their early Concacaf Champions Cup clashes in 2026. He made his official senior debut in the team’s 7–0 rout over Defence Force, and then started a trend.

Jakupovic would get called up for first team action, feature off the bench or not at all, and then return to the Philadelphia Union II, where he would impress enough to get called back up again to the senior squad.

The back-and-forth continued as the months progressed this season. Jakupovic would score a goal in MLS NEXT Pro, get an opportunity to rub shoulders with the first team and then go back to starring in the second tier.

It wasn’t until September that Jakupovic retained his place in Ryan Richter’s team, and the consistency did him a world of good. In his third consecutive appearance with the Union, the 17-year-old bagged his first MLS goal, a close-range finish in stoppage time in Philadelphia’s 5–0 win over San Diego FC.

Lack of Minutes Could Push Jakupovic Toward Europe

Opportunities are proving to be rare, though. You would think Jakupovic’s goal would earn the youngster more playing time moving forward, but he logged just one minute in the Union’s two wins over Real Salt Lake and Chicago Fire following the September-October international window.

Patience is required for Jakupovic to fully stake his claim with the first team. The Union’s attack is firing on all cylinders at the moment, scoring 23 goals in the team’s last six matches. Sullivan is in sensational form, Bruno Damiani is scoring for fun and somehow Milan Iloski is upstaging them both.

Realistically, there’s no room for Jakupovic to slot into Richter’s XI, especially with the MLS Cup playoffs less than a month away. The good news is the young American is the ultimate professional.

“Malik has shown great growth since joining our academy, and his maturity at just 16 years old speaks to his professionalism and commitment,” Philadelphia sporting director Jon Scheer said of Jakupovic back in April.

Scheer highlighted how excited the club is to keep developing Jakupovic. But as interest from European teams continues to mount, the striker could instead choose to take his development abroad, where more opportunities, more money and greater stakes lie.

Making noise in one of Europe’s top five leagues is also an assured way to get U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino’s attention.

Jakupovic Waiting for His USMNT Moment

Jakupovic was left sitting at home while Pochettino called up eight teenagers and 13 total uncapped players for four fall friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. His fellow Philadelphia teammates Sullivan and Pierre were among the young contingent taking center stage during the September-October international break.

With so few first-team minutes under his belt with the Union, it would have been a real shock to see Jakupovic earn his first call-up from Pochettino. Instead, the manager selected youngsters with more experience to lead his line, like Julian Hall and Justin Ellis.

The two forwards, along with Sullivan, scored six of the USMNT’s 12 goals last window. They are now firmly on Pochettino’s depth chart, as are recurring faces Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi.

Jakupovic remains on the outside looking in, but it feels like only a matter of time before he breaks into the squad. He scored a stunning eight goals at the Concacaf U-17 Championship to help the U.S. team qualify for the 2026 U-17 World Cup. The teenager also scored in his debut with the U-18 side.

It might take a bit longer for Jakupovic to claim his breakthrough moment with the senior national team, given the competition standing in his way. But there’s no doubt an impressive move to Europe—or even just the continued buzz of one—would help catch Pochettino’s eye.

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