Brad Friedel told GOAL that if Manchester City were relegated because of Financial Fair Play sanctions, Cavan Sullivan could get an immediate chance to play. Sullivan is less than a year away from turning 18 and being cleared to link up with Manchester City, while it is still not known which division the club will be in next season.
Friedel's view on the situation
Friedel said: "At this moment in time, until the sanctions come out and until the appeal is heard, I don't think a lot of anything affects the players. And he would be the same."
Friedel said: "He's still a player that has not played one second in a top league in the world. Let's just fast forward a moment and say they do get a points deduction which gets them relegated. Playing in the Championship might do them a world of good because you might come to a club where he gets an opportunity to play right away."
Friedel said: "So it might be very good for him because he could come in and actually have a chance to play. I think all the players just have to monitor the situation, but it doesn't really get real for them until or unless the sanctions are going to affect their personal careers."
City case and Sullivan timeline
There are still 114 Financial Fair Play charges hanging over Manchester City, and various sanctions have been speculated on. GOAL says Manchester City have protested their innocence throughout the case.
Loan transfers for Sullivan have also been mooted.
Other former USMNT views
Freddy Adu previously suggested to GOAL that a spell in the Championship may be beneficial to Sullivan. Adu said: "As a player, you cannot think that you're too big to go on loan to any team in the Championship from Man City or a smaller team. That's exactly what you need as a player at that point."
Adu said: "I do think that's what's going to happen. I do think that he will go on loan. But when he does go on loan, I really hope that it's to a team that he will be a regular starter for."
Tab Ramos told GOAL in March that Sullivan could be eased into European action by spending time in the Eredivisie. Ramos said: "If I were to look down the road and assess what happens with young players and see the level where he is at, the physicality of the game in England, if I had to predict, I’d have to say that he signs for Man City and goes and plays in Holland for a couple of years."
Sullivan milestones
Sullivan made his MLS debut for the Philadelphia Union aged 14 years and 293 days, breaking a record previously held by Freddy Adu. On October 3, 2026, he opened his United States goal account in a 3-0 victory over Mexico and became the country's youngest scorer at 17 years and five days old.
The first leg against Haiti is set to take place on November 14.
