YA Match of the Day! as Anello subs on in the Copa Uruguay. Scoreless and goes to a shootout, with Racing prevailing 4-3. Haven't seen whether or not Agustin took a PK - I'd assume so, but don't know. Either way, they're out of the Cup in the Round of 16. Anello is probably overdue for a move to YA - Americas and a thread title change: @bungadiri @dark knight @TheFalseNine Agustin Anello at Boston River (Uruguay)
Started: BOSTON RIVER on X: "67'| Dos cambios en Boston River: ↪️ Rafael Haller ↩️ Juan Acosta ↪️ Mauricio Vera ↩️ Agustín Anello #VamosElBoston " / X Tied 2-2 late.
🇺🇸 Sources: Philadelphia Union in talks to sign forward Agustin Anello from Boston River.No deal yet but negotiations ongoing.Anello, 23, born in America before family moved to Europe when he was 10. He has featured for Lommel and Sparta Rotterdam too🤝 @urieliugt pic.twitter.com/cEWjU0SxLu— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 29, 2026 Coming home? Tommy Scoops says he’s in talks to sign with Philly Union.
It is official. Anello joins Philly. It's a very nice move for Anello. His move to Uruguay helped him reset after he didn't stick with Hajduk Split or Sparta Rotterdam. He did well in Uruguay and even got to play in the Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. But moving to Uruguay was always a holding pattern. His agent is Uruguayan and likely made a few calls to get him to Boston River to keep his career alive after a rough time in Europe. The pay in the Uruguayan Primera is poor, especially outside of Nacional and Peñarol. But now he joins a good Philadelphia team that works well with American players. It's a big step up. On top of that, he gets a 4 year contract guaranteed through 2029 - which is huge. I guess the one question I have is that Philly typically does not play much with wingers. Maybe that is changing. Per the release U.S. youth international guaranteed through June 2029 Philadelphia Union announced today that they have acquired forward Agustín Anello on a permanent transfer from Boston River. His contract is guaranteed through the 2028-2029 season, with an option through the 2029-2030 season. Anello will be added to the Union’s active roster following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate. “Agustín is a versatile, dynamic attacker,” said Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell. “His development in Europe, combined with his recent breakout in Uruguay, reflects a clear upward trajectory. As a domestic player with U.S. Youth National Team experience, he fits our profile well, and we’re excited to welcome him to Philadelphia.” Welcome to Philly, Agustin! ⚡️Philadelphia Union acquire forward Agustin Anello on a permanent transfer from Boston River.📝 https://t.co/UCE1SOBLrE#DOOP | @primepoint pic.twitter.com/LgtwFCJe7C— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) February 10, 2026
Boston River says goodbye ¡Gracias, 𝐀𝐠𝐮𝐬! 🥺Agustín Anello continuará su carrera en @PhilaUnion 🇺🇲En su pasaje por nuestro club:⏱️ 57 partidos⚽️ 12 goles🤝 3 asistencias🎯🏆 Golazo inolvidable en Chillán¡Te deseamos lo mejor en esta nueva etapa! 🙌#SomosBostonRiver 🟢🔴 pic.twitter.com/86xY5kigmn— BOSTON RIVER (@bostonriver) February 10, 2026
I have a sneaky good feeling Anello is going to be another one those shrewd, low risk high reward moves by Philly. They invested in him with a lengthy contract, so Philly clearly see something. I'll be watching Anello this season with curiosity.
He's turning 24 in April so he's a bit old. Then again, Haji was washed up when he left the Netherlands so the lad could be one of those late developers. Kudos to him for sticking at it and, as you say, to his agent for a shrewd "step back to jump better" move to Uruguay. That got him playing regularly, including in the Libertadores. Looking forward to following him
Philly are reported as paying $2.5 million for him for 4 seasons, with an option for a third, which suggests circa $500k per year. That's lower Championship/upper League One money. Not too shabby.
Not too shabby indeed. Look at the numbers.. The average salary in Uruguay’s Primera is reported to be around $20k per year. That includes the two big clubs, Nacional and Peñarol, who pay more. Boston River is on the smaller side So he’s looking at a salary increase of at least 25x. For anyone, that is great. Anello’s Uruguayan agent really did a great job for him. Anello crashed out of Europe. His agent got him a job for peanuts in Uruguay where he has connections. But the move allowed him to reset his career and be seen in tournaments like the Libertadores (where he scored a huge goal). Anello did well in South America and now gets a huge 25x raise. Thats good agent work. Rescued his career with some smart decisions.
The nearest comparison I can think of is Fafa Picault who went from the Czech D2 IIRC to MLS regular to playing with the GOAT at Miami. Great stories both