These last couple days have brought great news for young American prospects in terms of moves to different European giants. As the development of youth talent continues to grow in the United States so does the interest for them from abroad, more specifically, from some of the biggest clubs in the world.

FC Barcelona confirmed the arrival of Pedro Soma for Barça Atlètic with the possibility of eventually joining the first team. Barcelona’s historical emphasis on youth development sets up Pedro’s future very well considering he is one of Americas brightest youth talents.

He is an excellent talent from UE Cornellà as he is a versatile midfielder who can run the show from deep as a pivot, play as an all action box-to-box midfielder, or even slide into the central defender position to become an asset to his teams backline. Soma’s high footballing IQ and adaptability to what the team needs was instrumental in his journey with the United States U-17 youth national team in the last world cup, and was even more influential with the United States U-20 national team in the Concacaf U-20 Championships as they reached the final.

Midfielder Bento Estrela has joined Sporting Club de Portugal after being transferred from New York Red Bulls. Back in February 2021 at the young age of 14, the Portugal youth international was just 14 years and 364 days old when he signed professional, as he became the the fourth-youngest ever signing in MLS history.

Since that time, Estrela has featured prominently for MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, New York Red Bulls II, where he recorded one assist in 36 games (29 starts). Despite being signed by the club 4 years ago he has yet to make his first-team debut, and looks for a change of scenery as he starts this next chapter in his young career.

Bento Estrela has represented both Portugal and the United States at the youth level and could be in consideration for upcoming camps ahead of next year's U-20 World Cup in Chile.

Though, moves don't end there, as D.C. United center back Matai Akinmboni has recently been rumored to be preparing for a move to Bournemouth.

According to some sources, the offer on the table is below DC's valuation. As the English transfer window approaches its conclusion on Friday night, there is still time for Bournemouth to continue negotiations.

D.C. United are also in talks to transfer academy product Kristian Fletcher to Nottingham Forest on loan with an option to buy.

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Fletcher had previously been loaned to Swansea City where he impressed with his strong performances in the second team. Now, D.C. United are looking for a move so the young forward can continue his development and begin to get some first team minutes at the top level.

U.S. U-17 Roster for Vaclav Jezec Tournament

The U.S. U-17 Youth National Team will return to the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in Mikulov, Czech Republic, from August 30 to September 9 where they will play against Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia. It's the first training camp of the YNT U-17 cycle which includes next year's 2025 Concacaf U-17 Championship and the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Seven players represented the United States at the 2023 Concacaf Men's U-15 Championship in the Dominican Republic, helping the country take home its first title in three appearances at the tournament. Defenders such as Guimaraes, Adrian Sanders, and Villa; Midfielders Luca Moisa and Jude Terry; plus forwards Chase Adams and Cavan Sullivan all represent that previous championship roster.

The U.S. added a new face to its roster, St. Louis City SC winger Lorenzo Cornelius was called up for the first time as he begins his international youth career at the Vaclav Jezek Tournament.

Also of note, LA Galaxy center back Enrique Martinez, New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Aidan Stokes and Rangers attacking midfielder Alexander Smith have all recently represented Mexico, Wales, and Scotland respectively; and have become key players at club and youth international level. Alongside them, Chelsea FC holding midfielder, Landon Emenalo, has been involved with England's youth national teams.

This squad also includes U.S. youth sensations Mathis Albert, Maximo Carrizo and Cavan Sullivan who will be together for the first time in the U.S. youth organization. Sullivan won the Golden Ball as the best player in the Concacaf U-15 Championship and became the youngest player in history to debut in Major League Soccer.

Mathis Albert recently joined Borussia Dortmund where he has quickly made an impact within the team and Maximo Carrizo continues to be one of the nation's top prospects with strong performances in MLS NEXT Pro and has also made the first team bench.

With a plethora of youth talents on the rise across all levels in the American game, the crop of players to choose from to represent the USYNT’s has never been better and will only continue to grow.

The United States will play its first game against Germany on September 4th, its second match will be against the Czech Republic on September 6th and will close its participation in the tournament with a match against Slovakia on September 8th.

MLS NEXT Unveils Crucial Dates for the 2024/2025 Season

The 2024-25 MLS NEXT season begins soon and it will be the fifth iteration in the program's history, where the best youth players in North America will be competing in league matches as well as five major events at the national and international level.

The competition will include 753 teams from 151 clubs, 29 MLS academies, and 122 MLS NEXT Elite Academies - with more than 16,000 players competing in categories ranging from U-13 to U-19.

Key points to know:

• MLS academies will change age designations from U-15 and U-17 to U-16 and U-18.

• All MLS academies will compete at the U-19 level, with rosters comprised of U-18 players and a limited number of players above that age.

The new pathway will create greater alignment by providing a higher level of competition for all MLS NEXT players before signing professionally, playing in college or pursuing other opportunities. The additional year (i.e., changing from U15 to U16) will provide MLS clubs with more opportunities to establish clear and effective development paths for each player.

MLS teams will compete at the U19 age group in MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex and MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. As a result of the changes, the 2024-25 season will feature 16 additional MLS academy teams competing in MLS NEXT at the U-13, U-14, U-15 and U-17 age groups.

MLS NEXT Fest will return to the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, California, after hosting the event in 2022.

From December 6-11, MLS NEXT's top competitions across four age groups (U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19) will face off in the premier winter tournament. The six-day event will feature hundreds of professional, national, and college scouts evaluating more than 400 teams.

The Generation adidas Cup 2025, one of the most prestigious youth tournaments in world soccer, will pit MLS academies against top international club academies at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, from April 12-20, 2025.

In conjunction with changes to the MLS Pro Player Pathway age groups, the Generation adidas Cup 2025 will be contested in the U-16 and U-18 age groups.

MLS NEXT Flex represents the final qualifying competition for the 2025 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs, which will take place at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, from May 9-13, 2025.

Teams in each age group are divided into groups of four and ranked based on their performance in league matches from September 2024 through March 2025.

The winner of each group will automatically secure a spot in the 2025 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.

The season’s culminating event, the 2024-25 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase, will feature 32 of the top regular season teams competing to win a championship across four different age groups (U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19). The event will take place in the summer of 2025, with more information to be announced in the fall of this year.

Sixteen of the 32 teams will qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on their position in the standings. League matches will be played regionally from September 2024 through June 2025, and will feature eight divisions: Florida, Frontier, Mid-America, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest. The other 16 teams will qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on their performance in the MLS NEXT Flex.