Austin FC announced Wednesday that they have acquired teenage midfielder Sebastian Berhalter via loan from the Columbus Crew, with his new club having to option to trade for him at the end of the next season.
Berhalter, who turns 20 in May, is the son of ex-Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter, currently head coach of the US men’s national team.
“Sebastian is a young and talented midfielder who will add depth to our growing roster,” said Austin FC sporting director Claudio Reyna in a statement. “We are excited to have him join the club and look forward for his continued professional development with Austin FC.”
Ready to go. See you soon, @sebaberhalter! pic.twitter.com/gIbxIoltxF
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) March 3, 2021
In a video posted to his Twitter account, Berhalter said, “I’m excited for this new opportunity and looking forward to the challenge. I can’t wait to get started.”
In his first professional action, Berhalter played in nine games for the league-champion Crew in 2020, including four starts. He had signed with Columbus as a homegrown player in January 2020 after spending six seasons with the club’s academy squad (2014-19). The London native played at NCAA blue blood North Carolina.
–Field Level Media