For any player looking to make a significant contribution at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, playing regular minutes and being in form is a must.
While many of the U.S. men’s national team players have sorted out their club situations or are already key contributors, the same can’t be said for Matt Turner, who seems to have lost his grasp on the starting goalkeeper role under head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Through the 2024–25 season, the 31-year-old struggled to find time on loan with Crystal Palace from Nottingham Forest, playing only three games. Meanwhile, he struggled at the Concacaf Nations League with the USMNT and was surpassed by New York City FC’s Matt Freese at the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Now, after nearly securing a move to Lyon in France’s Ligue 1, he might be out of luck. While the club were keen to bring him in as a replacement for Lucas Perri, their financial situation has proven problematic, and they have taken on legal help to cancel the transfer worth a reported $9.4 million.
Previously, the financial situation had relegated the French giants to Ligue 2, before an appeal saw them reinstated into the top flight, albeit on hard times.
Yet, the issues facing Turner are two-fold. First, he has to sort out which club he belongs to, and at the same time, navigate the right path towards consistent playing time at a high level, to keep his place on the USMNT.
Here are three options he could take.
