The future of youth development in the United States could hinge on arguments made last month by Tottenham Hotspur to FIFA in the case of DeAndre Yedlin’s transfer and solidarity payments to Washington youth club Crossfire Premier. The case is currently being decided by FIFA’s five-member Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), and documents made available to The Athletic show that the English club has offered three defenses for why it should not be liable for the solidarity payments. Tottenham’s submissions add a new dimension to a case that could have massive ramifications for youth and professional soccer in the United States.



On Sunday, Jeff Carlisle of ESPN reported the overall nature of Tottenham’s three reasons for not making the payments. The Athletic can now offer further detail of those defenses, each of which seems to be contradicted, at least in part, by evidence in possession of the DRC. Additionally, The Athletic has learned that, should FIFA...