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Despite not having seen his full team play together in nearly a whole calendar year, USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter is hard at work to improve his side’s future. American Soccer Now’s Brian Sciaretta reports that the U.S. head coach has been in contact with FC Midtjylland defensive midfielder Jens Cajuste to try and get him to switch from Sweden to the USA.
I can confirm Gregg Berhalter has spoken with FC Midtjylland d-mid Jens Cajuste. Cajuste would need to file a 1-time switch to play for the #USMNT. I believe US Soccer is also reexamining the rules to determine if he could play immediately after approval of a switch.
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 9, 2020
Cajuste, 21, has represented Sweden at the youth international levels but has ties to the U.S. through his Haitian-American father. New proposed eligibility rules from FIFA would seemingly allow Cajuste to be immediately able to play for the USMNT should he file a one-time switch. However, due to playing for Sweden’s U-21 team, would be ineligible to play for the U.S. U-23 team for any Olympic endeavors.
Twitter user Ben Green has put together a very comprehensive scouting report on Cajuste, who appears to be a very physically gifted midfielder with exception technical quality.
At 21, his calming presence on the ball and willingness to get on it in tough situations is impressive.
— Ben Green (@beno_greeno) September 21, 2020
Tidy in possession, ability to play more progressive passes, but doesn’t possess the most expansive passing range. Understands what’s needed from him in FCM’s midfield pivot. pic.twitter.com/u8lq2zBd0y
Cajuste has appeared 27 times for Midtjylland since joining the club in 2018.
The USMNT could undoubtedly use someone of Cajuste’s profile. While midfielders like Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie are cornerstone pieces for the program for the next decade, depth at the defensive midfielder spot can never be too plentiful.
Only time will tell on if Berhalter can successfully recruit Cajuste into his setup. For now, all we can do is speculate and discuss possibilities. Cajuste Do It, in our opinion.