Neil Pierre might be one part of what is essentially about to become an all-American defensive group in Philadelphia, with Frankie Westfield joining him on the backline and Mark McKenzie set to do so on January 1.
Even then, Pierre's place in that group is secured well into the next decade. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Union announced that they had signed Pierre to a new contract that will keep him in the United States for the next five years. The contract's annual value has not been confirmed as of this writing, but it will have the opportunity to be extended for another year should both parties opt to do so.
While Westfield's contract is set to last until 2028 or 2029, the Union is more than likely to field Pierre and McKenzie in the backfield until the end of the 2029-30 campaign; McKenzie's soon-to-kick-into-effect contract will run until that point, though there is a chance that the stint is extended by another campaign.
Deal delays the movement of key players to Europe, whether it can stop it remains to be seen
Even with Manchester City facing legal proceedings galore and the risk of a colossal points deduction, the Union's recently-emerged superstar Cavan Sullivan is still a year away from heading to the club.
Liverpool and Barcelona have been monitoring the situation in Manchester and Sullivan's form, preparing for the scenario that Manchester City's current and future stars jump ship if the sanctions imposed are severe enough to throw cold water on any hopes of Premier League and European contention.
With Westfield and Pierre both putting together strong seasons, further monitoring from European sides was bound to occur. And even if Sullivan doesn't head to Manchester City, it would still remain to be seen if he would even consider remaining in Philadelphia for the long haul.
And Philadelphia isn't the first side to have lost major USMNT talent to European clubs in recent years. We just saw a handful of national team players head to England's second division; Sebastian Berhalter, Jack McGlynn, and Luca Bombino were among the ones moving there from Major League Soccer.
What the Union just did is guaranteed to slow down the movement of emerging and established American players away from MLS and towards Europe. That said, the spotlight is still far brighter in Europe than it is in North America, and that alone could draw players away from the United States in the hopes of pursuing stints with the national team.
Unless another Lionel Messi-esque shift draws big-name players westward, Europe will remain the place to be for star footballers. American players are well aware of this trend, though it remains to be seen whether they will consistently ignore it in favor of staying on home soil.
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