TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
FC Cincinnati have signed goalkeeper Beckham Sunderland to a Homegrown contract, the club announced Wednesday. Sunderland is the club's first academy graduate to sign a Homegrown deal.
Sunderland, 17, joined the club's academy for its inaugural season in 2019/20 after previously spending time in the Portland Timbers and Chicago Fire FC academies.
“We are happy to be able to sign our first FC Cincinnati Academy product to a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player,” GM Gerard Nijkamp said in a club statement. “We decided to keep Beckham with our first-team group this year in training as opposed to with our academy to be able to make a better assessment of him. Based on his performance and his ability to adapt to the professional environment, we feel he has earned an opportunity within our roster.”
Sunderland is the second Homegrown on the club's active roster alongside defender Zico Bailey. Cincy acquired Bailey's Homegrown rights from the LA Galaxy before signing him this year.
Beckham is the son of the club's director of player development Larry Sunderland.
