Cavan Sullivan, a 14-year-old, has agreed to join Manchester City in 2028 after his youth development contract with MLS club Philadelphia Union expires. Cavan Sullivan is being compared to the current Argentine World Cup champion Dominik Szoboszlai, who plays for Liverpool.

Manchester City has agreed to a deal to sign the 14-year-old midfielder Cavan Sullivan, with the American player set to join the Premier League club when he turns 18. Cavan Sullivan just signed the biggest “homegrown” contract in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) on Thursday. Sullivan put pen to paper with Philadelphia Union, where the young man is a member of the club’s youth academy. Sullivan will stay with Philadelphia Union until he turns 18, allowing him to gain valuable experience before joining Man City.

Cavan Sullivan has become the fifth youngest player to sign a professional contract in MLS history at 14 years and 224 days old, and is attracting interest from top clubs across Europe. But the unique deal allows the teenage star to remain with Philadelphia Union until 2028 before moving to England.

Philadelphia’s sporting director, Ernst Tanner, has previously unearthed and developed superstars like Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, David Alaba and Dominik Szoboszlai during his time at Hoffenheim and RB Salzburg. Cavan Sullivan is one of the greatest young talents Tanner has ever seen, and he has compared the American midfielder to Szoboszlai.

Ernst Tanner said during Cavan Sullivan’s signing ceremony with Philadelphia Union: “Cavan Sullivan is one of the greatest talents in the world. He is the third biggest talent I have seen in my 30-year career. I can say relatively that this young man reminds me of signing Dominik Szoboszlai.”

Cavan Sullivan is currently playing for Philadelphia Union II in MLS Next Pro, but clubs have been tracking Sullivan since he was 13 years old playing for their U-17 team, and he also made a strong impression for the U.S. U-15 team. The unique deal between Union and City holds great significance for Sullivan.

Cavan Sullivan told ESPN: “With the collaboration between Union and the City Group, I think that has helped me. I’ve always followed Man City. They’re like every kid’s dream club. For them to come together and agree on something, I sat down with my family and my representatives and we decided that was the best plan.”

Notably, Cavan Sullivan is currently playing alongside his brother Quinn Sullivan at Philadelphia Union. Quinn Sullivan has been a member of Philadelphia Union’s first team since 2021. Meanwhile, Cavan Sullivan has been given the number 6 shirt at Philadelphia Union and could make his MLS debut in the coming weeks.

Ernst Tanner added in a statement on Thursday: “There is no denying that Cavan Sullivan is an exceptional and rare talent. At just 14 years old, his innate skills and vision are beyond his years. Sullivan’s football IQ, combined with his ability to read the game, dribble and score goals, shows just how high his ceiling is.

We are delighted to have reached an agreement to have Cavan Sullivan join Union on his first professional contract and have no doubt about the impact he will have on the club. This deal allows Philadelphia to hold onto this precious asset for an additional 4 years, and Manchester City will have the opportunity to trigger their option assuming Sullivan progresses as expected.”