USMNT Star Matt Turner Faces Crossroads as Ligue 1 Dream Hangs in Balance

Any player aiming to make a meaningful impact at the 2026 FIFA World Cup must secure consistent playing time and maintain peak form.

While numerous U.S. men's national team players have resolved their club situations or established themselves as essential contributors, Matt Turner faces a different challenge, appearing to have lost his grip on the starting goalkeeper position under head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

During the 2024–25 campaign, the 31-year-old found limited opportunities on loan at Crystal Palace from Nottingham Forest, featuring in just three matches. Additionally, he encountered difficulties during the Concacaf Nations League with the USMNT and was overtaken by New York City FC's Matt Freese at the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Currently, after coming close to securing a transfer to Lyon in France's Ligue 1, he may find himself without options. Although the club showed strong interest in acquiring him as Lucas Perri's replacement, their financial constraints have created complications, leading them to seek legal assistance to terminate the deal reportedly valued at $9.4 million.

Earlier, the financial difficulties had demoted the French powerhouse to Ligue 2, though an appeal successfully restored them to the top division, albeit under challenging circumstances.

However, Turner faces a dual challenge. Initially, he must determine his club affiliation, while simultaneously finding the correct route to regular high-level playing time to maintain his USMNT position.

Here are three potential paths he could pursue.

Lyon Complete the Transfer

The most direct and preferred option for Turner would involve Lyon finalizing the transfer from Nottingham Forest, despite their current financial difficulties. From Turner's standpoint, this would provide him his first opportunity as a primary goalkeeper in Europe, taking over from Perri, who recently moved to Premier League club Leeds United.

Presently, Lyon have Lassine Diarra, Mathieu Patouillet and Remy Deschamps on their roster, with Deschamps being the sole player to have appeared in first-team matches for the club, though he would likely serve as Turner's deputy if the transfer proceeds.

Another Loan Within England

When Turner transferred from Forest to Crystal Palace on loan, expectations were that he might secure additional playing time and compete for a significant role. Nevertheless, he never posed a threat to Dean Henderson for the starting position, and became peripheral to Palace's strategies, even while USMNT teammate Chris Richards excelled at center back.

Nevertheless, if the transfer falls through, a loan to England's lower divisions could become an option, though this would represent a potential decline from the standard he should maintain if he aspires to be the USMNT's starting goalkeeper.

Return to MLS

Departing Europe may not appeal to many, but it could represent the correct direction for Turner following his thus-far unsuccessful European venture. Previously, he excelled with the New England Revolution and would likely seamlessly transition into a starting role upon returning to that organization.

Additional potential destinations that might seek a new starting goalkeeper include the San Jose Earthquakes, Atlanta United and D.C. United, with other clubs potentially creating opportunities should they consider Turner, who has indicated his willingness to return to MLS, as a viable candidate.

Turner's difficulties in England aren't unprecedented for an American goalkeeper, and an MLS return could mirror a similar trajectory to Zack Steffen, who struggled to earn regular minutes with Manchester City before returning to MLS as a standout goalkeeper with the Colorado Rapids.