Nashville SC signs former US International Tyler Boyd

From Club release:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 30, 2023) – Nashville Soccer Club announced today the signing of Tyler Boyd through the 2026 season with an option for 2027 from the LA Galaxy in exchange for two international roster spots (one in 2024, one in 2025) and $150,000 in General Allocation Money split halfway between the 2024 and 2025 MLS seasons. The LA Galaxy may receive up to $625,000 in conditional GAM, if Boyd meets certain performance metrics. 

In his inaugural MLS season, Boyd recorded 13 contributions (eight goals, five assists) in 39 games, 32 as a starter, across all competitions. In the 2023 Regular Season, the winger registered seven goals and four assists in 28 starts for the Galaxy, which included two game-winning goals, two game winning assists, and a passing accuracy of 81.2%.  

“Tyler is an outstanding attacking player who has proven the ability to create and finish scoring chances in MLS, abroad, and with the U.S. Men’s National Team. He is a great fit on and off the field, and we are excited to add him to our group,” said Mike Jacobs, General Manager with Nashville SC.  

 
Prior to joining the LA Galaxy, the 29-year-old played in over 275 matches registering 54 goals and 28 assists across the premier leagues in New Zealand, Portugal, and Turkey. Boyd’s most recent European stint was with Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig, where he achieved four goals and an assist in 35 appearances, including 25 starts, across various competitions. 

During his stint at Beşiktaş, Boyd was loaned to Sivasspor, also in the Turkish Süper Lig, in 2021, where he scored five goals in 15 appearances, (eight starts). In the 2021-22 season, he went on loan to Çaykur Rizespor, another Turkish Süper Lig team, where he registered two goals and three assists in 29 league appearances (23 starts). 

Before his time with Beşiktaş, Boyd played for Vitória de Guimarães in the Portuguese Primeira Liga (2015-19), scoring one goal and assisting twice in 15 appearances (seven starts), across all competitions. During his tenure at Vitória S.C., Boyd was loaned to the Turkish Süper Lig club MKE Ankaragücü in 2019, where he scored six goals and provided four assists in 14 appearances, all starts. He also had a loan spell with C.D. Tondela, a Portuguese Primeira Liga side, from 2017-18, where he was responsible for five goals and four assists in 29 matches (15 starts). 

Boyd’s initial professional stint in Portugal was with Vitória S.C.’s B team (2015-17), where he registered 13 goals and six assists in 73 appearances across various competitions.  

Prior to moving to Europe, Boyd started his professional journey at Waikato FC, a New Zealand First Division team, in the 2011-12 season, where he recorded four goals and three assists in 14 league appearances, (13 starts). Boyd then moved to the Australian A-League with Wellington Phoenix, (2012-15), where he recorded four goals and four assists in 47 league matches (16 starts). 

At the international stage, Boyd received a special exception to move from the New Zealand National Team to the United States Men’s National Team. During his time with the U.S., the winger provided two goals and an assist in 10 appearances, including six starts, since his debut against Venezuela on June 9, 2019. His most recent international match was in the 2019 Concacaf Nations League, where he contributed one assist in three appearances, including a start. 

Nashville SC release

Boyd’s one-time switch was not the move of his dreams – he ended up with just 10 caps, whereas he would’ve been a stalwart for his native New Zealand – but it does give a bit more of a broad body of evidence for fans than would his lone year with the Galaxy.

He’s a reasonably speedy (though not Fafa Picault or Jacob Shaffelburg-type speed) winger, and a good shooter, though a little on the one-dimensional side as an attacking player. He was not interruptive at all for the Galaxy last season, though that may well be a team effect and it’ll be intriguing to see if a move to a club with Nashville’s identity gets a bit more out of Boyd when the ball is in possession of the opponent.

At 29 and on a three-year contract (with team option for a fourth year), that feels like a steep price… but he’s nothing if not basically interchangeable with the vast majority of non-DP wingers that other clubs sign (who require international slots) so his domestic status is worth something there, too. On a $350k salary for Los Angeles last year, the price tag isn’t too steep, though if you figure in acquisition costs (international slots are $175k at last check), you can bake that into how much he costs Nashville SC.

It’s a solid move, though a more uninspiring one than, say, adding Dru Yearwood (a former Young DP) a few weeks back. Nashville’s been lacking in attacking depth, and Boyd should upgrade the parts of that unit that aren’t in the starting lineup, while having the ability to rotate in as a more dangerous version – if of a similar overall quality – to Alex Muyl. For a guy whose stock was artificially deflated by the curse of “playing for LA Galaxy makes everyone look bad,” it’s overall a solid piece.