Who is Noel Buck? The English wonderkid wanted by Arsenal & Man City

Cameron Smith

• 15 Oct 2023 15:20 BST
• 4 min read

New England Revolution midfielder Noel Buck has garnered interest from Arsenal and Manchester City following his sparkling form in the MLS this year.

The England U19 international is eligible to represent the USA, but he has chosen to represent the Three Lions on the international stage so far and a move to the Premier League could be on the cards.

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Buck is wanted by some big European clubs, but how good is he and what type of player is the Englishman?

What position does Buck play in?

Buck plays as a central midfielder. He is left-footed.

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How good is Buck?

The New England Revolution star made his first-team debut at just 17 years old and he has become a key member of the team from a deep midfield role.

The official MLS website detailed some of the league’s best young talents and described Buck as follows: “Buck makes the difficult look routine, whether it's spraying long balls, winning the ball in midfield, hitting line-splitting passes, or providing a timely goal.

“That profile has resulted in several England U-19 call-ups, though the US are chasing his services too. The left-footed youngster is New England's top homegrown [player] since their Diego Fagúndez days.”

In his second appearance for England’s U19 side, Buck scored a brilliant long-range strike and the battle for his international commitment between the Three Lions and the USMNT is set to continue for a while longer.

He won the UnitedHealthcare Revolution Academy Player of the Year in 2021 and soon earned a spot on the club’s first-team roster.

Upon the confirmation of his move to Revolution’s senior team, technical director Curt Onalfo said: “Noel is a talented two-way central midfielder with a high ceiling. He is only 16 years old with a bright future and a lot of development ahead of him.

“By competing on a high level every day and striving for consistency, We are confident he will find continued success as he grows within our Pro Pathway system.

“We look forward to seeing Noel continue his maturation as he projects to see significant minutes with our second team this season.”

Since then, Buck has become a key member of Revolution’s first team and before the 2023 October international break, he had scored three goals and provided one assist in 24 appearances during the 2023 regular MLS season.

Which clubs are interested in Buck?

Arsenal and Manchester City have both expressed a desire to sign Buck, as they look to bolster the young talent in their squad.

That is according to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, who has reported that Burnley and several Bundesliga teams are also interested in signing the young midfielder. His report states that Buck would demand a fee of between $5-8 million at least.

When does Buck’s contract expire?

Buck’s current contract at New England Revolution runs until 31 December 2025.

How old is Buck?

Buck was born on 5 April 2005. He is 18 years old.

What is Buck’s Instagram?

Buck’s Instagram account is @noelb_12 and he has 6.1k followers as of October 2023.

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