Monday brought the long-expected news that Caleb Wiley will be part of Marko Mitrović’s 18-man U.S. roster at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. The U.S., in their first Olympics since 2008, open up play against the hosts on July 24 in Marseille.
With U.S. Soccer’s press release, though, came the news that camp would open in Bordeaux on Tuesday, with Wiley set to leave after the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against the USL Championship’s Indy Eleven and be out for at least the four subsequent matches. If the U.S. advance to the knockout stages, he could miss the early portions of Leagues Cup.
But it appears that Tuesday’s Open Cup contest could be Wiley’s last with Atlanta United. Per The Athletic’s David Bornstein, Todd Boehly’s BlueCo has reached an agreement in principle with Atlanta United that would see Wiley sign for Chelsea and then loaned immediately to sister club Strasbourg.
Over the last couple of weeks, Wiley’s name surfaced in transfer rumors tied to BlueCo. Wiley’s Olympic teammate, goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, signed for Chelsea in 2022 from the Chicago Fire but was loaned back to Chicago before being sent to Belgian top-flight side Eupen.
BlueCo aren’t looking to pay a small amount for Wiley, either: per reporting from Tom Bogert on Saturday, the figure was around $10 million, with Bornstein’s reporting putting it closer to $11 million.
Wiley will be the first to tell you that his form hasn’t been at its best (especially after a series of breakout performances in 2023), but the quality and level of play has been evident throughout his career with Atlanta. He’s not yet 20 and has entrenched himself as a reliable fullback in MLS, which isn’t easy to do. His growth as a player is also a credit to the Atlanta United development system, starting out as a U-12 in 2016, eventually playing his way to a Homegrown Player deal in 2022 and professional minutes with ATL UTD 2, before essentially being forced into the first-team lineup. It’s his future potential that has BlueCo looking to put down eight figures for his services, and with a strong showing in France, that amount could balloon.
As far as reinforcements, Atlanta signed Pedro Amador on a free transfer with the understanding that he’d be the option at left back in Wiley’s absence, but the Portugal native won’t be available for selection until July 20 against the Columbus Crew, two days after the transfer window opens. In the interim, Ronald Hernandez should take up the spot, while Matt Edwards should see minutes there if needed.
If Tuesday is Wiley’s last match with Atlanta United, it certainly will make the end of a memorable tenure. Either way, here’s hoping his future endeavors — starting with the Olympic Games — pan out well.
Best of luck Wiley! Happy to see you move up! What is Bello doing nowadays?
[…] Caleb Wiley Olympics-bound; Atlanta United departure appears imminent […]
Will be shocked if he plays tomorrow, if a deal has been approved. Wiley has made great strides and gotten bigger and stronger and has wheels. He has shown the ability to make that nice touch pass as well as ever improving handling. Would be shocked if he wasn’t on our next WC squad. Sad to see him go, but wish him great success.
This is life as a fan of a team in a minor league. Bet of luck to Caleb; hope he stands out in a good way during the Olympics and gets to test his talent at a higher level.
I hope this goes through and I hope Wiley ends up in Strausbourg. Patrick Vieira is the manager and he could be good to play for. I mostly hope Wiley just ends up playing regularly as The Athletic pointed out that while the USMNT has a ton of players in Europe, many of them barely play or play at a mediocre level. As best I can tell from looking up info on Strausbourg, the guys ahead of Wiley on the roster at LB aren’t so great and he would have a realistic chance at winning a starting job.
I know it isn’t much weight, but Doug Roberson said in his article that Wiley is expected to play tomorrow in the US Open Cup match before leaving for the Olympics.