Philadelphia Union has completed a unique deal to sign US youth international Cavan Sullivan to the most lucrative Homegrown contract in MLS history. Sullivan signed his contract with Philadelphia per MLS transfer insider Tom Bogert on May 1st. All that remains is the official announcement from Philadelphia and Manchester City themselves.

Per the details highlighted by Tom over at The Athletic, Sullivan will transfer to Manchester City when he turns 18, marking the first time such a deal has been included in a player's first MLS contract. Sullivan also signed his contract with Manchester City, which will take effect upon his arrival at the club.

Manchester City will pay up to $5 million for the 14-year-old and Philadelphia will also retain a percentage of Sullivan's future sale if City were to sell him to another club.

The deal is unprecedented both financially and in its structure. This marks the richest contract for a homegrown player in MLS history, and Sullivan's agreement is the first involving a pre-agreed transfer alongside the signing of a HG deal.

Sullivan holds a German passport, which could have allowed him to sign within the European Union when he turned 16, resulting in the Union receiving only training compensation rather than the transfer fee they will receive from Manchester City.

The Philadelphia Union academy has produced numerous homegrown talents, including Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin on loan from Leeds United), Paxten Aaronson (Vitesse on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt), Auston Trusty (Sheffield United), and Mark McKenzie (KRC Genk). Some highly rated academy graduates, Jack McGlynn and Cavan's older brother, Quinn, are currently key players in the first team.

Cavan Sullivan made his professional debut in March with the Union's second team, providing the winning assist off the bench in the MLS development league, MLS Next Pro. He now has two appearances in MLS Next Pro and will become the first player born in 2009 to sign a professional contract in MLS and the youngest in history.

Sullivan is seen as the best American prospect in his age group and one of the best in the world. He led the United States U-15 team to the 2023 CONCACAF U-15 Championship title and earned the Ballon d'Or for best player of the tournament. Sullivan played with the Union U-17 team in the GA Cup this spring, leading his team to victory in the tournament.

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MLS Next: Weekend Preview and Games to Watch

This weekend will feature action from some of the league's most prominent teams and there will be derby from Los Angeles as teams prepare for the upcoming MLS Next Flex in Maryland.

Among the featured games is the Toronto FC vs. D.C. United matchup in Canada on Saturday. Toronto FC will enter the game with positive results from last weekend, as the Canadian U-17 team defeated Philadelphia Union 3-2 and New York Red Bulls 6-1, while the U-15 team achieved two 2-2 draws. On the other hand, D.C. United comes off a break last weekend after defeating Inter Miami in both age groups on April 20. The U-17 team was in action on April 27 when they defeated Sporting Athletic Club 4-2.

Chicago Fire will host FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew on May 4 and 5. Last weekend, FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew hosted games against Chicago Fire, and this will be an opportunity for them to face each other again. FC Cincinnati defeated Chicago Fire in both age groups with scores of 1-0 for the U-17s and 3-0 for the U-15s. Meanwhile, Columbus Crew U-15 defeated Chicago Fire 3-2.

All eyes will be on the New York and Los Angeles derbies. On May 5, the LA Galaxy will play against LAFC in what will be the third derby this season. Both teams from both franchises come in with positive results and will seek to win the classic. In the U-15 category, LA Galaxy managed to defeat LAFC in the last two encounters with scores of 2-0 and 3-1. Meanwhile, in the U-17 category, LAFC won the first game 4-1, and in the second game, LA Galaxy defeated LAFC.

On the east coast, NYCFC will play on Saturday, May 4 against Inter Miami. NYCFC U-17 lost against CF Montreal 1-0 while the U-15s drew 4-4 on April 21. For their part, Inter Miami comes into this game after beating Nashville SC in both age groups. The Florida team won 2-0 in the U-15s and a resounding 8-0 for the U-17s.

Real Salt Lake will face Colorado Rapids on May 4. The Real Salt Lake U-15 team arrives with two consecutive losses after losing to LAFC and LA Galaxy last weekend. In turn, the U-17 team lost to LAFC and managed to recover after beating LA Galaxy 2-0.

Over in the West, the Colorado Rapids faced the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend with favorable results in both games. The U-17s beat the Quakes 3-0 while the U-15s claimed a 2-1 victory.