Matthew Hoppe Joins Middlesbrough

Another American is headed to the northern part of England. Today, Middlesbrough FC announced the signing of Matthew Hoppe from Mallorca.

ESPN reports that Middlesbrough paid a transfer fee to Hoppe’s previous club, Mallorca in Spain, that was £2.5-3 million, with the potential for an additional million or two pounds through add-ons. Hoppe had previously joined Mallorca just the season prior following the relegation of his club, Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga. Unfortunately, Hoppe’s time in Spain didn’t go as well as he liked, with a mix of injury, Covid-19, and poor form limiting him to just 5 league appearances.

After a hot few games for Schalke in the Bundesliga early in 2021, Hoppe got called up by Gregg Berhalter to play for the United States Men’s National Team in the Gold Cup. He appeared in all but one game as the team won the tournament, scoring the game-winning goal against Jamaica in the quarterfinals. To date, the 21-year old has 6 USMNT caps to his name.

In Middlesbrough, Hoppe will hope for more playing time as the club chases promotion from the Championship to the Premier League. The squad came close last year, finishing in 7th, just outside the playoff spots.

Hoppe actually won’t be the only American in Middlesbrough. He joins USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen at the Yorkshire club. The two will hope to push the club over that finishing line to promotion.