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Manchester City and English Premier League clubs interested in USA center back John Brooks

The transfer rumors are heating up!

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It appears that the world has taken notice of John Anthony Brooks.

Grant Wahl (of Sports Illustrated) reports that the USMNT center back is a hot commodity:

U.S. center back John Brooks has had a terrific Copa América, and a source confirms that Brooks is receiving interest from multiple English Premier League teams.

Brooks just signed a new contract earlier this year with Hertha Berlin of the German Bundesliga, and he’s still just 23 years old and viewed as having a big upside. Hertha Berlin wants to hang onto Brooks, but a source close to Brooks says it is possible that a move could happen between now and the end of the summer transfer window.

Bild reported that Manchester City is one of the clubs interested in 23-year old Berlin native.

However, other reports out of Germany indicate that Hertha is not interested in selling. If they were, they'd want a transfer fee of 20 million euros (or 22,586,400 dollars).

Brooks is currently on a deal that last through the 2018-2019 season, after recently signing an extension.

Brooks had an incredible Copa America and seemingly solidified a permanent spot on the back line for the national team. It's no surprise that clubs are kicking his tires, as mobile 6'4" defenders don't grow on trees.

There's a lot of benefits in staying at a club with which one has experienced success, but it's hard to turn down a move to a bigger club that will increase salary and fame. Athletes are naturally competitive and ambitious, so it's understandable if Brooks wants to move to a higher level.

(Of course, we can debate whether mid-table EPL is better than mid-table Bundesliga, but the preceding paragraph presupposes he'd be transferred to Manchester City.)

Brooks could be one of many U.S. players on the move this summer, a group that includes DeAndre Yedlin, Brad Guzan, and Alejandro Bedoya. It should be an exciting couple of months, so pay attention to the transfer rumor mill.

Should John Brooks leave Hertha Berlin and the Bundesliga for England? Let us know in the comment section.