The temporary closure of Minnesota United’s youth academy in 2020 continues to be felt. Two prospects who left the Loons’ system when the club shut down operations during the pandemic have now signed homegrown contracts with Sporting Kansas City.
KC announced Friday that two 16-year-olds — center back Ian James and goalkeeper Jack Kortkamp — have received MLS deals. MNUFC, in turn, announced they netted an “undisclosed amount” of General Allocation Money for the rights to both players.
That sum is in the ballpark of $200,000, the Pioneer Press learned.
The Loons experienced a talent drain when they closed the academy four years ago, and that decision was again brought to the forefront with news that James and Kortkamp — two call-ups to recent U.S. youth national teams — are deemed to have bright futures with a primary Western Conference competitor.
The highest profile exit of a MNUFC academy player during the pandemic was Bajung Darboe, who left for Philadelphia Union and then Los Angeles FC. The 18-year-old has since been transferred to German superpower Bayern Munich for a $1.5 million fee, according to GiveMeSport.
The Kansas City Star reported Friday that Sporting paid MNUFC a fee for James and Kortkamp in 2021 that was not included in the new homegrown rights payments. The paper also said that Minnesota retains sell-on percentages for both players. The Loons said it had a sell-on share for Darboe.
Since his arrival in early 2024, new MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad has renewed the club’s intention to build a pathway for young players to climb the ranks to MLS. But the club needs quality players capable of ascending the rungs, and there is not a current abundance of those players within the youth ranks.
James and Kortkamp have been in KC’s system for the past three years and were billed by Sporting as the league’s youngest defender and goalkeeper to sign to MLS contracts. They have both played for SKC II, the club’s MLS Next Pro side, and were called into the U.S. Under-17 national team training camp in November.
James was born in St. Louis Park and has lived in St. Paul, while Kortkamp was born in Oakville, Ontario, and has lived in Maple Grove.
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