United States men’s national team forward Patrick Agyemang signed a four-year contract with English Championship side Derby County on Tuesday.
Derby County, which plays in England’s second division, paid a reported fee of $7.7 million to Major League Soccer team Charlotte FC to secure Ageymang’s services.
The 24-year-old Agyemang scored eight goals in 18 appearances during the first half of Charlotte’s current season. Across 59 regular-season matches since 2023, Agyemang has scored 17 times for Charlotte.
For the USMNT, Agyemang had two goals at the Gold Cup and started all six games as the team reached the final, where it lost to Mexico.
Charlotte described the transfer fee as a club record, though neither team revealed the figure. British media reported it to be $7.7 million.
In its statement announcing the move, Derby County said Agygemang will undergo hernia surgey.
“Agyemang has been playing for most of the 2025 Major League Soccer season with a hernia injury that has been managed without surgery but meant he has been playing in discomfort,” Derby said in its announcement. “With a long-term view in mind, all parties have agreed he will undergo routine surgery and is therefore likely to miss the opening games of the 2025-26 season.”
The East Hartford, Connecticut native was selected 12th overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
“I’ve heard about [the move] once I was getting into the national team for the Gold Cup,” Agyemang said in an interview with Derby’s website. “And obviously, in the moment, you’re like, ‘that’s something I’m interested in!’ But you want to focus on what you’re doing.
“Then, as it starts to progress, you start to look more into it. And there is this project I’d love to be a part of. And I just hoped for it to get across the line. And happily, it did.”
Derby County narrowly avoided relegation back to the third division (League One) last season. The team had played there from 2022-24 after dropping from the Championship (2008-22). The Rams last played in the Premier League in the 2007-2008 season.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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