Earlier this month, it was reported that Manchester City was close to signing 14 year old Cavan Sullivan, who is Union midfielder/forward Quinn Sullivan’s younger brother. In a turn of good news, Tom Bogert and Sam Lee at The Athletic (now with ads) are reporting that Sullivan will remain in Philly for a bit before making the jump:

The Philadelphia Union has reached an agreement on transfer terms with Manchester City to send 14-year-old academy player Cavan Sullivan to Manchester when he turns 18, say sources briefed on the deal, who added that the agreement is heavy on add-ons and includes a sell-on percentage.

In the meantime, Sullivan is finalizing an MLS homegrown contract with the Union that will keep him stateside until his move across the Atlantic. Sources say the homegrown deal is the richest in MLS history.

…

The Union agreed with City that it would send Sullivan to a City Football Group side elsewhere in Europe if his development surpasses MLS before his 18th birthday, sources say.

Cavan recently made his debut for the Union’s second team. He’s eligible to play for the first team if he signs that homegrown contract, but he’s 14 and therefore has the body of, well, a 14-year-old boy. Don’t get me wrong, the kid is oozing with talent and kill, but remains just that – a kid. So whether or not he can impact an MLS game with grown men on the field is a legitimate question.

At least with this arrangement, we’ll get to see him play for the Union before Oil Money F.C. comes in and takes him. The existence of the add-on and sell-on money makes sure the Union are properly compensated for the part they play in Sullivan’s development, and then City gets their prospect anyway. It’s a win/win for both, in my mind. There was a scenario previously where Manchester City would swoop in and steal Cavan and the Union would get peanuts in return, as Tom explains here:

By the way, this story is dedicated to the idiot on Facebook who thinks losing young talent to Europe is a good thing. It’s good for the United States national team, yes, but it’s not good for the Philadelphia Union. Some people actually care about the local team that plays in the domestic league, and want to see both improve. I’ve got zero time for Euro snobs on here. “Rah rah I’m Chelsea till I die!” Fuck outta here with that. You’re from South Jersey and your wife bought you that jersey for Christmas, three months ago.