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The wait for the first signing of the Philadelphia Union’s offseason didn’t last long with the announcement of the signing of 20-year-old Ghanaian forward Ezekiel Alladoh on Wednesday. The also shattered the transfer record for the team at $4.5 million.

In the email today:

1. 🇬🇭 Union Announce Record-Breaking Transfer

Ghanaian forward Ezekiel Alladoh has been officially announced as the newest member of the Philadelphia Union in a record-breaking move with Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna.

The 20-year-old forward shatters the club’s transfer fee record at a reported $4.5 million, topping the reported $3.4 million fee for Bruno Damiani when he was acquired in February.

“Ezekiel is a talented young striker who has shown encouraging potential in a competitive European league,” Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell said in a news release announcing the move. “His pace, directness, and vertical movement provide a strong foundation, and at 6’3” he brings strength and an undeniable presence to the position. His work rate and high-level mentality align well with our system, and we’re excited to welcome him to Philadelphia as he continues to develop his game.”

Alladoh is guaranteed through 2028 with club options for 2029 and 2030. The Ghanaian forward will be added to the Union’s active roster following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P1 Visa and will occupy an international roster slot.

Whether he will count on the roster as a designated player or U-22 signing remains an open question and when asked about it at the Union’s Year-End presser on Wednesday, Jon Scheer, the team’s director of academy and professional development, said it would not have to be determined until the start of the 2026 season.

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2. ❌ No Union in U.S. Open Cup 2026

West Chester United will be carrying the torch as the only local team in the 2026 edition of the U.S. Open Cup.

An announcement of a scaled back World Cup-year tournament was made on Thursday and it noted a “one-club, one-entry” rule limited professional clubs to only their highest-level team.

For the Union, this means they aren’t able to have Union II play in the competition in place of the first team, which isn’t in the field due to their qualification for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.

In total, the competition has been reduced by one round to seven and the number of professional teams has been scaled back from 64 to 48.

West Chester United automatically qualified for the competition by winning the 2025 National Amateur Cup. Oaklyn United was one win away from punching their ticket but came up short in the fourth and final round of qualifying.

The first round games will be played on March 17, 18 or 19 and will feature the Open Division qualifiers against professional teams. The first and second round draws will be announced in January.

3.💧Water Cooler: MLS Cup Final

Oh yeah, there’s an MLS Cup final on Saturday in Florida at 2:30 p.m.

3. ❄️ Social Post of the Day: Statement of Intent

4. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Alladoh will be the 9th player in Union history to wear the No. 23 jersey.

• Need gift-giving ideas for the soccer fan on your list? We have a couple ideas.

• West Chester University women are still dancing and will host a NCAA Division II quarterfinal this Saturday with a chance to book a trip to Matthews, N.C. for the Division II final four.

• Drexel named the successor to long-time head coach Ray Goon on Wednesday, tapping Mt. Holly, N.J. native Shannon Grogan for the job.

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