Leeds sign USA international Adams from RB Leipzig

Leeds United have confirmed the signing of United States international Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig, with the 23-year-old penning a five-year deal at Elland Road.

Adams, who has 30 caps for his country, joins for a reported fee of around £20million after Leeds sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City on Monday.

He represents Leeds’ fifth signing of the transfer window, after Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Darko Gyabi, as Jesse Marsch’s side look to build on securing Premier League survival on the final day of last season.

Speaking to the club’s website, Adams said he was excited to link up with several familiar faces at the Yorkshire club, having played under Marsch at Leipzig and New York Red Bulls.

“I am super excited,” he said. “So far what I have heard is that it’s electric here. 

“Talking to my friends who have played in the Premier League, they say it’s one of the best atmospheres they have ever played in. Now to have those fans supporting me, it’s going to be something special.

“Jesse was a huge influence on my career so far, he’s given me a lot of experiences as a young player that other players may not have received. 

“So, he was definitely a big influence and so was [director of football] Victor Orta, he played a big role for me. There wasn’t much convincing he needed to do for me to come here, but he had a great plan in place for me to develop as a person and a player.

“Then Brenden Aaronson, we play together for the national team; Jack Harrison I’ve had the opportunity to play against him a bunch of times, and he’s a great player, so they made me really comfortable on my first day.”

Adams made 24 appearances as Leipzig finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season and will be expected to replace the ball-winning qualities of Phillips, who recovered possession an average of 10.2 times per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, the highest average of any player with 900+ minutes played in the competition.