Rumor: SC Freiburg and USA U-20 'keeper Zack Steffen watched by Inter and Roma

Zack Steffen is a highly-rated goalkeeping prospect who just helped the USA Under-20 Men's National Team to the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand with back-to-back clean sheets in the knockout rounds (it took a penalty shoot-out to dislodge the Americans from the tournament).

Unsurprisingly therefore, since soccer's biggest global transfer season is fast approaching and the U-20 World Cup is effectively a giant shop window for some of the sport's hottest young talents, Steffen is rumored to have attracted the attention of some of Europe's bigger clubs.

Calciomercato.com suggests Inter and Roma are watching Steffen more closely after his performances in New Zealand. Other Italian outlets have taken notice.

Currently, he is on SC Freiburg's books. His club was relegated to 2. Bundesliga this season, but that should have little impact on his development. Top-flight European teams (as Freiburg was when Steffen was signed) rarely recruit 20-year-old 'keepers with the intention of putting them in the first team right away. Although it should be noted Freiburg just lost starting 'keeper Roman Burki to Dortmund.

Why should news about an American Bundesliga back-up and some Serie A clubs be of any interest at all to fans of the New York Red Bulls? Well, another star of the USA's U-20 World Cup campaign was RBNY's Matt Miazga. There were whispers he was getting attention from scouts at the tournament...

Source: Bochum and Stuttgart scouting Miazga at U-20 World Cup.

— MLS Transfers (@MLSTransfers) May 30, 2015

...but no substantial rumors involving his name have emerged. Yet. Good work at U-20 World Cups tends not to go unnoticed. Steffen might not be the only young American troubling the rumor mill this summer.