DeAndre Yedlin should hear back on passport by November

One of the biggest hurdles to DeAndre Yedlin joining Tottenham Hotspur is getting a work permit. He has not played in 75 percent of the United States' competitive matches in the last two years so he cannot get one automatically and would have to appeal for one, which doesn't always go well. If he doesn't get one, he can't play in England.

But there is an alternative: get a Latvian passport.

Citizens of European Union countries do not need a work permit to play in England and Yedlin has Latvian ancestry. He is applying for Latvian citizenship and a passport and should find out if he got it soon.

Yedlin also said he was still waiting on word about his Latvian passport application. Said he should hear in 'early November'

— Matt Pentz (@mattpentz) October 17, 2014

As soon as Yedlin gets a passport, he will be eligible to play in England. The plan is for him to finish the season with the Sounders, but with a passport, he could join Spurs as soon as January 1.

Tottenham are still deciding if they want him to come over in January, but the passport would give them the option. It is possible that he stays with the Sounders or goes on loan elsewhere until the summer and joins Spurs then, but if he has a passport, not only is Tottenham an option, but he could go on loan to any other team in any EU country.