Transfer Talk: English clubs to spend a quick Buck as Noel impresses

Noel Buck is earning rave reviews.

The playmaker, 18, has made a fast start to life in Major League Soccer with New England Revolution and has received youth international honours on the other side of the Atlantic.

We take a closer look at a player everybody appears set to hear a lot more about.

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Start them young

Buck does not turn 19 until April but is already a New England regular.

The midfielder became the club's second-youngest goalscorer when he netted against New York City in September 2022, managing seven appearances across that campaign.

And the 2023 season has seen the starlet truly break out as he racked up 24 MLS outings and found the net in three.

Already starring in a top-tier first team, it is little wonder that Buck is being watched by Premier League sides.

Wanted man

It is not just club scouts keeping an eye on the midfielder's progress.

Buck's father is from London, earning him eligibility for England, and he was called up by their Under-19s in September, scoring on his first start against Switzerland.

Upon being selected, he said: "I feel connected to England.

"I have family over there I visit very frequently and my dad brings the culture in the house."

The teenager's American twang reveals where he has lived for his entire life, though, and USA head coach Gregg Berhalter has not given up on the citizenship battle.

Berhalter said: "I have spoken to him.

"I've communicated with him, told him that we see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team in 2026, based on what he's doing now."

It is one of several big decisions Buck will soon be confronted with.

All-rounder

Buck is showing signs of being the type of all-rounder that is increasingly required in top midfielders.

The Revs star can play in deep, box-to-box or attacking roles, works hard and at just short of 6ft is physically developed for his age.

He is showing off the exuberance of youth, too.

His third MLS goal against Chicago Fire was a scorcher from distance that a more experienced player may not have taken on.

Premier League beckons

Such is Buck's rapid rise that a move to the Premier League appears almost a formality.

Arsenal are touted as a potential destination — a link that makes sense considering that the club's American owner Stan Kroenke has signed US internationals Matt Turner and Aaron Trusty in the last two years.

Burnley could potentially offer him a faster route to first-team football, while Manchester City and Chelsea — also said to be interested — could look to loan him out to sister clubs.

Wherever he ends up, a career at the top level beckons.