As is often the case with the Philadelphia Union in the offseason, there are stretches of time where nothing happens following by news coming at you fast and furious over a 2-3 day stretch. After lots of reporting around deals brewing over the weekend, this week has started with news of Jack McGlynn’s sale to Houston and the long anticipated announcement of Neil Pierre’s first team contract.

In the email today:

1. 🛢️ Making Sense of the McGlynn Sale

By Evan Cohen

Philadelphia Union is once again pioneering a new Major League Soccer initiative, as Jack McGlynn has become the first homegrown player (and second overall) moved in the new cash market introduced by the league this offseason.

The move, initially reported over the weekend, left many across the league in shock, as McGlynn was a key part of Philadelphia’s core and was expected to move abroad soon rather than stay in the league. Despite the initial outrage felt by many, including myself, at the initial news, the full details are official now, and we have the context needed to understand the deal.

Houston will pay a fee of $2.1 million up front for McGlynn, making the midfielder the fourth most expensive departure in club history, only behind the Aaronson brothers and Mark McKenzie. Additionally, it has been reported that up to $1.3 million in add-ons is available based on McGlynn’s performances and incentives in Texas. The final part of the deal revolves around a monumental 50 percent sell-on fee retained by Philadelphia. With McGlynn expected to move abroad to Europe in the coming year or two, the Union can still expect to receive quite a bit of compensation for the 21-year-old.

Seeing an upfront price of just over $2 million is shocking to many fans, considering Transfermarkt has McGlynn valued at over $4.5 million. Despite this initial shock, when looking at this deal objectively, it makes sense.

First and foremost, McGlynn does not fit the Union’s system at all. With Bradley Carnell coming to instill further the infamous “Energy Drink Soccer” style of high pressing and limited possession, McGlynn’s immense skill in possession is rather unhelpful. Houston, managed by Ben Olsen, absolutely loves the ball. This Dynamo side has killed teams across the league with heavy possession in recent seasons. Simply put, McGlynn is a much better fit in Houston, and in the interest of increasing his eventual sale price, the move makes a lot of sense for a club pocketing half of it.

How this impacts Carnell’s team on the field is interesting, with Danley Jean Jacques likely to slide into the now-open spot on the left side of the midfield diamond. This shift opens the door for a replacement, with Jovan Lukic reportedly joining from Serbian side FK Spartak Subotica for $600k this week.

Here’s the bottom line: McGlynn’s value can rapidly increase from a showcase in a system like Houston’s, so by taking a gamble and expecting an expensive move abroad soon, pocketing a quick two or even three million dollars makes sense knowing that half of this eventual fee is still coming.

I won’t sit here and pretend this is a stroke of genius from Ernst Tanner, as he is shipping off a fan-favorite and emerging star for less than his value. However, I would really like the benefits if Tanner were able to replace this production accurately, either through Lukic or by committee.

2. 👑 Neil Pierre’s MLS Era Begins

One of the top-rated center backs in the country in the 2007 birth year is officially a member of the Philadelphia Union with the team announcing the signing of the 17-year-old from Lebanon, Pa. to a first team homegrown contract.

Pierre is the 26th homegrown player signed by the team and arguably one of the academy's biggest prospects currently in the pipeline who doesn’t have the last name Sullivan.

Pierre’s presence is striking and his size - listed at 6-foot-5 - certainly has aided his rise to the first team but those who have followed him since he was a much younger player in the academy have seen the steady development of areas of his game that can be taught and learned. His standing not only as a prospect but as someone who is likely to get minutes as a teenager is a testament to his personal work ethic and the staff in the academy who have developed him to this point.

The Union already have two high profile center backs who have come through their development pathway and made their way to Europe. Pierre likely will be the third, following Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie to European football and future USMNT call-ups. In the meantime, he gives head coach Bradley Carnell a fourth option at center back with presumed starters Jakob Glesnes, new addition Ian Glavinovich and third year backup Olwethu Makhanya.

3. ⚡️ Tweet of the Day: No Guarantee

4. 💧 Water Cooler: McGlynn Reax

Quinn Sullivan got the edge on the vote for Man of the Match from the last game and shout out to Makhanya for getting a vote.

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Philadelphia Union II opens their preseason match schedule against Rhode Island FC in a closed door friendly in Florida today. Three players who aren’t there are Kellan LeBlanc, Jordan Griffin and Jamir Johnson, who were all called up to the U.S. Under-17 teams for World Cup qualifiers in Costa Rica.

• Todd Lewis of The Free Kick takes a broader view of the McGlynn deal and places it in the context of the last two transfer windows in his article.

• High Point University is hosting the first Holden Trent Community Cup on Feb. 19 to support the foundation started in the late Philadelphia Union goalkeeper’s memory.

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