Romano: Club Brugge Moving In On Grady McDonnell

Vancouver FC’s decision to sign Grady McDonnell to a multi-year deal when he was just fifteen years of age is looking like a good one.

The Ireland U-17 midfielder is now expected to be sold to Clube Brugge’s second team, Club NXT, for a move valued at just over $500,000 plus add-ons, as per Fabrizio Romano.

McDonnell made 17 appearances for his Canadian Premier League club this season, racking up two assists and crafting three big chances in just over 407 minutes of game time for Vancouver FC. His current club, just three years old, holds a contract valid until the end of 2026, with McDonnell’s potential move potentially ringing in as the club’s first-ever European transfer.

Following Fabrizio’s tweet of the transfer, Vancouver FC responded with ‘#GrowTheGame’, lending plenty of credence that the move will go through.

The Surrey-born midfielder is eligible for both the Canadian and Irish national teams. While he’s featured for the youth ranks of both, he’s been much more involved with the Irish setup over the last year. He now features regularly for the Ireland U-17 team, featuring in all three matches of the country’s Euro U-17 Championship qualifiers and scoring in a friendly against Denmark this September.

His time before Vancouver FC saw him progress up to the U-17 level in the youth ranks of the Vancouver Whitecaps, where he routinely suited up against players a few years ahead of his own age.

Having made history as the Canadian Premier League’s youngest-ever professional signing – and the second-youngest to debut, behind teammate TJ Tahid – McDonnell’s potential sale could lend a big credence to Vancouver FC’s faith in youth-oriented signings.

Today, the club confirmed that three of its youngest first team players will remain in place for the upcoming season.

As per Romano, the transfer between Club Brugge’s second team and Vancouver FC has yet to be finalized.

Header Image Photo Credit: FC Media / Tony Lewis