Leeds United sign USMNT star Brenden Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg

American coach Jesse Marsch took charge of Leeds United in February when they were fighting for their English Premier League survival and guided them to safety and a 17th place finish. 

Marsch has already landed his first acquisition of the current offseason, and it's a familiar face. 

Per ESPN's Tom Hamilton and Phil Hay of The Athletic, Leeds have signed United States men's national team star midfielder Brenden Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg. Marsch previously worked with Aaronson when both were with the Austrian club and will officially do so again beginning on July 1. 

According to the reports, Leeds will pay a fee of around $28 million to $29.5 million, and Aaronson will put pen to paper on a five-year contract that will run through the end of the 2026-27 season.

As noted by the Leeds website, Aaronson made 41 appearances across all competitions for Salzburg in 2021-22 and tallied six goals and 10 assists. He has earned 18 caps for his country. 

"Jesse is a fantastic coach," the 21-year-old said for an official club release. "I worked with him for half a year at Red Bull Salzburg and he was amazing. I was grateful to work with him then and I am grateful to work with him again, so I am excited. 

"With the half-year I played under him, he taught me a lot. He taught me how to get into the final third to score goals and get assists, so that’s something I am looking to bring here. 

"I’ve heard about what the fans like about players here and I feel like I can be that type of player. I am a hard worker, I have this creative side to me and I think I fit this Leeds recipe in a player. The way Jesse wants to play, I learned a lot about the system and flourished under that system, so I am really excited to get back into it again."

Hamilton also explained that Major League Soccer club Philadelphia Union, Aaronson's first professional team, will receive roughly $5 million from his move to Leeds. Aaronson first joined Red Bull Salzburg in January 2021.