Aaronson, a bright prospect who could grow into a regular feature for the U.S. Men’s National Team, wanted to move on from Frankfurt and had options in England at the EFL Championship level. The Rapids had their eyes on him passively, but it got real when Aaronson expressed interest in Colorado as a home and a place to nurture his talent.

Medford native Paxten Aaronson is making a surprising move back to MLS, joining the Colorado Rapids from Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt. Multiple sources with knowledge of the deal told The Inquirer that Colorado agreed to a transfer fee of just over $8 million,

Aaronson also pointed to the marked gains made by his former Union homegrown colleagues Jack McGlynn and Quinn Sullivan on the domestic scene over the past year or two as evidence that he can continue his own upward trajectory much closer to his loved ones, and in a region perennially lauded for its high quality of life.