Ulysses Llanez will reportedly head out on loan this season in order to obtain first team minutes elsewhere.
Eredivisie side Heerenveen is acquiring the Wolfsburg forward for the upcoming season, several reports stated Monday. Should Llanez pass his medical in Holland he will officially sign for the first-team.
Llanez, 19, excelled for Wolfsburg’s Under-19 team last season, scoring 11 goals in 15 appearances. He was promoted to the senior team in January, but was not handed his debut by manager Oliver Glasner with the club holding onto the final European qualification spot.
With reigning leading goalscorer Wout Weghorst and veterans Daniel Ginczek and Josip Brekalo all ahead of him in the pecking order, Llanez’s move to the Netherlands could serve as an important move in his development.
Llanez did make his senior international debut for Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT in February, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Concacaf rivals Costa Rica. He is also eligible for the U.S. Under-23 team, who will be looking to qualify for the rearranged Tokyo Olympics.
Llanez will join several American players in Holland this season, joining Ajax’s Sergino Dest, FC Emmen’s Desevio Payne, and Telstar’s Sebastian Soto.
Heerenveen opened its league schedule on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Willem II and next travels to Fortuna Sittard on Sept. 19th
SCH was a good team for Bradley, and the dutch league in general has been friendly to a lot of US players. re wolfsburg, to me if they aren’t really interested in you, some of these German and English top teams are good youth team incubators but places to flee to start your first team career. unless you are that one reyna or pulisic who really breaks through. you don’t want to be one of these players still on loan at 23.
Was hoping that this “Loan” would come through. He’ll be in contention for first team minutes in a league that knows how to develop attacking talent.
With consistent 1st team minutes (and good performances) he’ll leap into the USMNT “A-Team” picture sooner rather than later as a wide attacker.
With Pulisic, Reyna, Boyd, Weah, & Llanez all challenging for the Wide Roles, it would allow Morris to shift back to the CF roll; which is one of our thinnest positions right now (Sargent, Morris, Zardes/Jozy).
John Yeboah 20 yr old LW for Wolfsburg has represented a Germany at U16,17,18,19,20. In 2018/19 as an 18 year old he scored 20g and had 8a in 19 matches for Wolfsburg U19s. He received just 84 minutes with first team that season (Uly 11g 6a in 16 U19 matches). In 2019 for Wolfsburg II Yeboah scores 4g in his first five matches before being loaned to VVV-Venlo. His lan was largely unsuccessful for the offense adverse Venlo 1g 1a in 18 app. but he continued to be called by the German U20s so he’s got some talent. Yeboah did not dress and is likely headed to Willem II on loan. That’s a long way to go to show that Wolfsburg will not play their youngsters even German born players for their youth national teams. Even Brekalo one of 2 players under 24 that actually played last season cut his teeth at age 18 for Stuttgart and became a regular for Wolfsburg under the previous manager. The good thing is they like to loan their players out to Holland and Belgium rather than play them for Wolfsburg II in the 4th division.
In a sign of their ineptitude with young players they signed 18 yr old Victor Osimhen from a club in Nigeria in Jan 2017. Over the course of a season and a half he made 16 mostly substitute appearances no goals or assists. He was then loaned to Charleroi where he scored 20g in 36 app. Charleroi then activated their buy option and paid 3.85 million Euros a month later they sold him for 24.64 million to Lille. He then scored 13g for Lille last year and Lille sold him for 77 million. Two years after Wolfsburg let him go for just under 4 he sold for 77 a loss of 73 million all because the organization doesn’t believe in playing youngsters. Please please please let Heerenveen have a buy option in this loan.
I get it, the current Wolfsburg structure doesn’t promote/play young players. Unfortunately there are a number of US Players on their books. We’ve got Uli, Kayo, and one of our young LB prospects.
I’ll continue to hope that these Americans can buck the trend and get a shot at the Wolfsburg 1st team, but if they don’t they’ll hopefully have a chance to impress while on loan, and can get sold onto someone who’s willing to play them.
i get that they might bring a loan player back, but if they don’t tend to elevate academy products then you might sign someplace else that does. it would be kind of like playing for the Dynamo academy when we had like 2 HGP who stuck at all, and many years we signed no one. what is the point to playing a dead end youth system game? you have a nice name on your resume, and he looked good for the US, move on.
Sorry kind of went on a tangent off your comment. It’s got to be embarrassing for Wolfsburg supporters, you let a guy basically walk for 4 million and while the guy is laying on the beach some where on vacay Charleroi sells him for a 20 million profit. Hopefully they got some sell on money but still.
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I don’t think JMo has is as good a CF as he is a wing. He’s better running at someone than coming back to the ball like Berhalter plays. I think when we see the Reyna’s and Weah’s playing we’ll realize we don’t need Morris to start.
he had the winner in the costa rica friendly and looked lively. it’s only on berhalter planet where that means you have more to do to earn your way back again. sorry, but for him, weah, wood, horvath, green, a list of others, their treatment is absurd. you have already a goal in your one cap. scouting at that point is done. you have shown something for the Nats themselves.
at that point going back to club form is absurd. but since GB does this, yeah, it’s a good move to get rid of the lame excuse.
When was Berhalter supposed to call him back in?
i was responding to the comment that “With consistent 1st team minutes (and good performances) he’ll leap into the USMNT “A-Team” picture sooner rather than later.” he is basically echoing GB’s attitude. i grant that GB hasn’t had a second chance, but his pattern has been that young players with productive caps often disappear. sargent went away before he came back. weah is still gone. horvath hasn’t been seen.
Again your skipping important details like Weah was hurt all last season, Sargent competed with the other forwards ahead of the GC and did perform as well, Horvath had injuries and had to withdraw from GC. There is absolutely no indication that Berhalter wouldn’t call Llanez next time, he called him when he was just playing U19s why wouldn’t he call him now.