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Another young American is off to Germany to begin their professional career. United States Under-20 forward Uly Llanez announced on his social media accounts on Tuesday that he’s signed a contract with Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg.
I’m humbled & Blessed to announce that i’ve signed my first contract with @vfl.wolfsburg! i wanna thank my family, coaches, & my friends that supported me through this journey!!
— Uly Llanez (@uly_soccer7) April 3, 2019
Club Future set ✅
Looking forward to Poland ✅ pic.twitter.com/lyZZ1M5Vfk
The California native turned 18 years old on Tuesday, which of course is the magic number for Americans without a European passport to be able to sign abroad. Llanez wasted no time, announcing his move as soon as he possibly could.
In addition to being a mainstay on the current U.S. U-20 team, Llanez has come through the LA Galaxy setup, even playing with their USL club on several occasions. He, like many others, spurned the advances of the MLS side to try his luck in Europe.
Despite announcing his signing, he won’t be eligible to play for the Wolfsburg first team until the beginning of next season due to player registration complications. Perhaps he’ll be playing alongside John Brooks for Die Wölfe sometime soon. Before then, as long as his new club permits, he should be on his way to the U-20 World Cup this summer.