Report: Veteran defender Aurelien Collin joining Philadelphia Union

A player Philadelphia Union fans loved to root against when he played for Sporting Kansas City, Orlando City and the New York Red Bulls will reportedly be wearing blue and gold this season.

Aurelien Collin, 32, was linked to the Union in a Twitter post on Monday that was seemingly confirmed by a post on the team website that has since been taken down.

The right-footed Frenchman will likely provide defensive depth with Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty the favorites going into preseason to pair on a four-man back line (Should Jim Curtin use a back-three, Collin could end up starting). Jack Elliott is the only other center back on the roster though Matthew Real played there during the U20 CONCACAF Championship in the fall.

McKenzie and Real could both be missing as many as three-plus weeks for the U20 World Cup if both are selected for the team going to Poland in late May.

Collin has a green card so he won’t take up an international spot and could be seen as a mentor to the team’s young center back core. He earned $450,000 last season with the Red Bulls, which declined his option at the end of the season.

Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg was also linked to the Union on Sunday. The 22-year-old would take up one of the Union’s two open international slots on the first team roster.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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