MEDFORD, NJ — A young South Jersey soccer player is preparing for a multi-million dollar opportunity to play “the beautiful game” in Europe.
Medford native Paxten Aaronson, 19, also has his vision set on making the US men’s national team — as his older brother Brendan has.
He’ll have an opportunity to further his skills in Germany; the Philadelphia Union transferred Paxten Aaronson for $4 million, plus add-ons, to play for Eintracht Frankfurt in the top flight of the Bundesliga (German soccer league).
Aaronson told the Associated Press that he has yet to find an apartment in Frankfurt, but is looking forward to making the city his home. He was training with his new club in Dubai and is now at the US national team’s January camp in California.
The back-and-forth is something professional players have to get used to, if they’re representing their club and country at the same time.
Aaronson has already made noise for the Yanks at the Under-20 level, and played on the reserves for Philadelphia Union before being promoted to the senior team in 2021. He scored seven goals in seven games with the US U-20s at the 2022 CONCACAF championship. As of Friday, he’s still waiting for that first senior team debut in a camp full of young players.
Aaronson was also a finalist for the 2022 Chipotle US Soccer Young Male Player of the Year award. His brother Brendan also moved from the Union to Europe, playing for Austria’s RB Salzburg before moving to Leeds United in England.
The Aaronsons could become the eighth set of brothers to play for the national team following John and Pedro DeBrito, Otto and Rolf Decker, Angelo and Paul DiBernardo, Charlie and Henry McCully, George and Louie Nanchoff, Steve and Ken Snow, and Archie and Tom Stark.
After the US plays Colombia in another friendly this weekend, Paxten will head back to Germany. His decision to leave home for Europe was an easy one, he told the AP.
“They weren’t just buying me to buy me. They really do have a true plan, and I fit into their system, the style they want to play,” he said. “It was a no-brainer for me.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.