The first time the Philadelphia Union started talking seriously about signing Cavan Sullivan to a professional deal was two years ago. The extremely talented academy standout was already turning heads at 12-years-old.
He wasn’t just catching attention around the academy scene or with the U.S. youth national team — he was getting noticed by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
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This past winter, a decision was made as those big clubs were flexing their financial muscle to try to lure Sullivan to Europe, skipping a professional deal with his boyhood club. Months of tense discussions ended in an ideal outcome for all parties, with Sullivan inking the most lucrative homegrown deal in MLS history to begin his professional club with the Union.
That deal was made official on Thursday.
“This is a historic day for the Philadelphia Union. It is not often, in any sport, you get to sign a generational talent,” head coach Jim Curtin told the media.
Sullivan joined the Union academy at age 10. His oldest brother, Quinn, who also came through the club’s academy, is currently in the Union first team.
“The Union means almost everything to me, it’s my club,” Sullivan said. “Watching Quinn in the first team — being at the club since I was a little kid. This is my home.”
Sullivan has excelled at every level of youth soccer, already breaking into the Union’s second team to get his first steps in professional soccer.
“Everybody knows, he is probably one of the biggest talents on the globe,” sporting director Ernst Tanner said. “It was important we could keep him with us.”
This deal was far from a foregone conclusion. In fact, as recently as two months ago, it seemed certain Sullivan would skip Philly and head directly to Europe on his 16th birthday, as he has a German passport which allows him to leave before turning 18.
“That’s what we tried to avoid,” Tanner said.
The Union knew about the global interest in Sullivan. Manchester City eventually won out, as first reported by The Athletic. In conjunction with this homegrown deal, Sullivan will join Manchester City after he turns 18.
The Union’s press release made no mention of Manchester City, which has not released anything publicly, either. Tanner declined to comment when asked. Sources reiterate that the deal for Sullivan to join City after he turns 18 is signed and done.
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Sullivan has now signed the most lucrative deal for a 14-year-old in MLS history, with the average compensation surpassing the previous record held by Freddy Adu, who first signed for D.C. United in 2003. Adu’s deal was worth around $500,000 per season. Sullivan’s average is slightly above that over the length of the contract, according to sources briefed on the deal who weren’t authorized to speak publicly about it. The deal escalates in value every year. The Union officially announced it was a “record deal.”
The future is now. 💫 pic.twitter.com/9CQMu3ZBBF
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 9, 2024
The MLS Players Association will release salary data twice in 2024 and Sullivan’s number for this season will be revealed then. Homegrown deals are “more or less standardized” through the league office, Tanner said, hence the drawn out negotiations. The league office needs to sign off on any deal. The Union wasn’t only negotiating with Sullivan’s camp, but also the league office.
Sullivan’s deal will be around five times a normal homegrown contract. For comparison, NYCFC signed academy standout Maxi Carrizo to a homegrown deal when he was 14 in 2022. Last season, per the MLSPA, his deal was worth $111,597. New York Red Bulls academy standout Bento Estrela also signed his first deal when he was 14. Last season, when he was 17, his deal paid $109,444.
Those two are on the higher end of recent homegrown deals, but the unprecedented talent and the competition from European clubs put Sullivan on strong footing to maximize this deal.
Now, with his future settled, Sullivan is focused on making history.
“To be honest, nothing has really happened yet, the work starts now,” Sullivan said. “I have a lot to do. My main goal is to win MLS Cup.”
If he were to make his first team debut before July 29, he would become the youngest player ever to debut among the top North American professional sports leagues (MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, NWSL, WNBA), per the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous youngest player to accomplish these feats was Adu, who made his MLS debut at 14 years and 306 days old on April 3, 2004 for D.C. United.
“We’re not afraid to put Cavan on the field at any time when he’s ready,” Curtin said. “He’ll get on the field on merit, first and foremost, but I’ll say it publicly: (His debut) is a lot closer than people may realize.”
Tanner is world renowned for his work in youth development throughout a decorated career in Germany, then Austria, before coming to America. He also doesn’t traffic in hyperbole, so when he makes an assessment of a player, people listen.
“I’d say Cavan, in my eyes, is a top three youth talent I’ve seen in my 30-year career,” Tanner said.
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A ton of stars have crossed those eyes over that 30-year career.
Prior to the Union, Tanner’s previous role was building out the RB Salzburg academy. The club either produced or acquired at a young age the likes of Erling Haaland, Konrad Laimer and Dominik Szoboszlai, a player Tanner compared Sullivan to.
Szoboszlai was an exceptional young talent that Salzburg brought into their academy, saying the deal was done when the player was 14, like Sullivan.
Like Salzburg in Austria, Philly has become the gold standard for youth development in the United States. Since Tanner took over, the club has produced and transferred the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Paxten Aaronson and Mark McKenzie to Europe. Academy graduate Auston Trusty ended up in the Premier League. Current first teamers Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan are destined for Europe, too.
“We have a track record,” academy director Jon Scheer said. “We have a history of developing players, within our academy and the first team, then transitioning them on to bigger clubs in the global game. We have a proof of concept that families and players can truly believe in.”
From ownership through the academy, with key figures like Tanner, Scheer, Curtin and second team head coach Marlon LeBlanc, the Union stands on their business.
“We’re a club that wants to be the gold standard of youth development,” Curtin said. “We want every kid in the United States to say they want to play for the Philadelphia Union someday because we will put you on the field. We will not buy someone to replace you. We believe in young players in this country.”
(Photo: Philadelphia Union)
