Chelsea can wait. Caleb Wiley's priority for the next two and a half weeks is to win a medal at the Paris Olympics.
The American defender has already secured a move to the Premier League with Chelsea and now has his sights set on another prize.
“A medal. That's what we're going to be striving for,” Wiley told The Associated Press. “And I have every confidence that we're going to get it.”
The U.S. men's team is playing in the Olympics for the first time since 2008 when it faces host country France, one of the tournament favorites, in Marseille on Wednesday.
Wiley, 19, is likely to be the subject of increased interest from Chelsea fans, at least, after he completed his transfer to the two-time Champions League winners from Atlanta United FC on Monday in a deal worth around $11 million.
The left-back said he had received a flood of messages since the announcement and had not been able to respond to them all as the United States prepares for its Olympic return. But rather than the transfer distracting him from the Games, he said the Olympics had helped take his mind off the biggest move of his career while the details of the transfer were being finalized, months after learning of Chelsea's interest.
“I think for me the biggest thing was just being present. That's something I've been doing for a while, for a few months,” Wiley said. “Just knowing where I was, staying focused on Atlanta at that time and now with the Olympics has helped me stay in the moment.”
“I think it's important to enjoy it first. You know, this doesn't happen to many kids, so I think… [you need] embrace the feeling.”
Like France, coached by Thierry Henry, the Americans were paired with Guinea and New Zealand in Group A.
U.S. coach Marko Mitrovic said his players should embrace the opportunity to play France in their opening game, but he doesn't think it will define his team's tournament.
“I think when we look back on our lives in the future, we will be proud to have played this match,” Mitrovic said. “We are very grateful to play that match tomorrow. It will be a memory forever for us, but it is only one of three matches we have in the group stage and the points from the match count the same as those from the other matches.”
