You protect your best players regardless of status (loan, expiring contract, etc) unless you know for certain there is no way they are coming back. It is why Minnesota protected Mannonne even though it seems like a long shot he is coming back and NYCFC protected Parks even though it sounds like he may want to stay in Europe. You don't risk letting another MLS team getting the rights to that type of player unless you are certain it makes no difference (like Zlatan in LA).
Fabian and Medunjanin are gone. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...unjanin-not-returning-philadelphia-union-2020
#Rapids96 have acquired defender Auston Trusty from #DOOP in exchange for $300k in 2020 TAM and $300k in 2021 GAM. The Union could also get an additional $150k in 2021 GAM if Trusty reaches certain performance-based thresholds.— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) November 20, 2019 .@PhilaUnion win this deal with that amount of allocation money coupled with up to 30% of the sell-on fee. Good bit of business by the Union IMHO for an unproven player still. #DOOP #MLS https://t.co/S0uf2T5Meo— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) November 20, 2019 Trusty to Colorado for $600k xAM over the next two years, with a potential $150k extra. Plus a 30% sell-on clause? It sucks to see him be sold but this seems like quite a bit for a defender in MLS... Hopefully it pans out for both sides.
Also 2020 options were just announced, 8 options were picked up: Joe Bendik Cory Burke Warren Creavalle Anthony Fontana Olivier Mbaizo Mark McKenzie Michee Ngalina Matt Real Additionally, they announce an offer has been made to Ilsinho, Collin, Picault, and Monteiro (!?!?). "Medunjanin is out of contract and the club will not be seeking a new contract." https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/p...hia-union-exercise-2020-options-eight-players And unrelatedly, is there an edit button that I missed somewhere?
For Picault and Monteiro, they may have extended them offers so that they don't lose their MLS rights if they leave and go back to Europe. I forget about how the weird MLS rules work, but I think alot of MLS teams do this for out-of-contract players who are leaving for Europe but that haven't qualified for MLS free agency yet.
Trusty's move makes sense. He is up for a new contract after this year and was going to want a bump in pay that would push him onto the senior roster (you only get 125k to apply to players salaries above the respective minimums - and Trusty eats up 55k of that since at 125k he is 55k over the 70k senior minimum salary). He ended up falling down to the 4th choice center back by the end of the year. So upwards of 750k for a 4th choice CB is a good deal. Also, with Ofiemu (if signed) and/or Turner being able to play in that spot I think we are fine there. Sort of wonder if Mbaizo's option renewal is a prelude to a transfer. He started all the group stage games for Cameroon in the U-23 African Cup of Nations (as did Eric Ayuk) so he may have done enough to get an offer from a place like Turkey like Ayuk did. Or they think he can compete for that RB spot, who knows. Still feel like we are too crowded with international players.
We have acquired up to $375,000 of General Allocation Money in exchange for the rights to Fafa Picault.It’s been a wonderful three years with you, Gazelle. Best of luck in all you do! 👉 https://t.co/BjGYryZLAM@Fafagoal23 | #DOOP pic.twitter.com/7zl6arDScD— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) November 26, 2019
Seems like a good move to me as he was out of contract and not in the long term plans (whatever they may be!).
That's a shockingly good bit of business for a player who isn't even under contract. I imagine they see Corey Burke as a replacement on the wing, given his surprise inclusion on the protected list. He got his first reps as a starter out on the RW and was really disruptive in that role.
I gotta think (or maybe I'm just hoping a whole lot) that he was protected because, like Fafa, he has value that to other teams. So protecting him means the Union can grab money for him instead of just losing him for nothing. I just don't see him fitting the new system. He has the passing, vision, and decision making that makes Fafa look like Etcheverry or Valderamma (yeah, old school MLS references) and doesn't really do the defensive work that would be expected in a high press (either in the 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1). Using a target winger was a throwback tactic to something SKC used to good effect years ago with Sapong but it isn't something you'll likely see with how Tanner wants the team to play and how he is building it. He is likely 4th on the depth chart at forward (Kacper, Wooten, and Santos ahead of him) and, depending on when they play a 4-2-3-1, possibly 3rd or 4th on the RW depth chart (Ilsinho and Wooten plus possibly Santos ahead of him). Doesn't make sense to waste an international slot on a player that will be 28 next month.
I think he's actually a good fit next to Kacper as second striker. He's not as fast as Fafa but he's still quick, runs with a lot of power, and I think he's on par with Fafa as a passer and probably better as a finisher. He would open a lot of space for Kacper and be better positioned to speed down the field on a counter.
A total of $3,357,111.95 has been shed from the Union's player payroll in 2019 with recent departures of Allen, Trusty, Picault, Fabinho, Medunjanin and Fabian. That number is $3,438,011.95 if you count Derrick Jones, who will be officially traded to Nashville SC in January.— Philadelphia Soccer Now (@phlsoccernow) November 27, 2019
That sounds like a lot, until you realize that over 2/3 of that number is from Marco Fabian's salary.
José Andrés Martínez "Brujo" Estaría muy cerca de la MLS. Sin duda de los mejores MC del #FutVe. El destino, Philadelphia Union. #ZuliaFc pic.twitter.com/xJzB791YWt— Leonardo Tarazona (@leoTarazona7) December 16, 2019 25 year old CDM from Venezuela...
Doesn't appear to be scared of picking up the occasional yellow. Especially that run of 4 yellows in 4, and 6 over 7 games.: https://www.transfermarkt.com/jose-andres-martinez/leistungsdaten/spieler/415666
Ivan Franco seems like someone that would interest Ernst. Young player that could be a young DP and might be in their price range.
Saw on the a few Czech websites that you are interested in Jan Vodhanel of Bohemians 1905. https://www.transfermarkt.us/jan-vodhanel/profil/spieler/430250 Solid young player, plays as a left-sided attacking midfielder. The articles say transfer fee may be an issue and Jablonec which is a Europa League level Czech club is interested as well.
Jose Andres Martinez, "El Brujo" is signed: https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/p...hia-union-sign-midfielder-jos-andr-s-mart-nez Transfer fee not disclosed but one was paid.