TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

The San Jose Earthquakes have acquired US men’s national team forward Matthew Hoppe on a 12-month loan from Championship side Middlesbrough FC, the club announced Thursday.

Hoppe, 22, memorably broke through in late 2020 at German side FC Schalke 04. But he’s found minutes hard to come by since playing at Mallorca (Spain), Hibernian (Scotland) and Middlesbrough (England).

For everyone involved, the hope is this Secondary Transfer Window move can reignite Hoppe’s career closer back to home. The California native spent a year in the LA Galaxy Academy when he was younger.

“Matthew is an exciting, young player who has already gotten a lot of experience in a number of different leagues,” Earthquakes general manager Chris Leitch said in a release.

“He has also played at the international level and was a big part of the US Gold Cup victory in 2021. With his ability to play multiple positions, he is going to be an important addition to our attacking core.”

While at Schalke, Hoppe scored six goals in 22 appearances during the 2020-21 Bundesliga season while becoming the first American to net a hat trick in the German top flight. Internationally, Hoppe has one goal in eight USMNT games.

Hoppe is San Jose’s second offensive-minded signing of the summer after they acquired Canadian international Ayo Akinola in an intra-league trade with Toronto FC. 

Under first-year head coach Luchi Gonzalez, the Earthquakes currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with an 8W-7L-8D record (32 points). They’re looking to make their first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs appearance since 2020.