DeAndre Yedlin To Join Tottenham Early After Gaining Work Permit

DeAndre Yedlin is so fast, he’ll join Tottenham Hotspur from the Seattle Sounders six months earlier than expected.

Authorities in the U.K. granted Yedlin a work permit last weekend, clearing the way for the speedy fullback to join Tottenham in January, rather than next summer, according to the Mirror. Yedlin, 21, originally signed with Tottenham in August in a £2.4 million ($4 million) transfer, but the teams arraigned for him to remain with Seattle until next summer in order to further his development and chances of securing a work permit. Yedlin now has gained his work permit, and he’ll jump from MLS to the Premier League next month.

Tottenham signed Yedlin after his breakout performances at the 2014 FIFA World Cup made him a hot commodity. Yedlin helped the Sounders win both the U.S. Open Cup and MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2014 and also became more established on the U.S. national team in the early months of the new World Cup cycle.

Pochettino declined to say how much first-team action Yedlin would see in 2015. Instead, the Tottenham manager said he would give Yedlin time to adapt to his new surroundings.

“DeAndre is a young player with great potential who has already achieved a lot in Major League Soccer,” Pochettino told Tottenham’s website. Tuesday. “It is important for his development that he is given the time to adapt to his new surroundings both on and off the pitch and we believe that by coming to us in January it will give him the best opportunity to do so.”

Yedlin likely will join Tottenham on or around Jan. 1. Tottenham currently sits seventh in the Premier League standings and also is competing in the FA Cup, Capital One Cup (Football League Cup) and the UEFA Europa League, meaning Yedlin could play competitive games in the new year if he manages to dislodge Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton or Eric Dier in Pochettino’s pecking order.