Philadelphia Union acquire Ian Glavinovich via loan from Newell’s Old Boys

Argentine center back Ian Glavinovich is officially joining the Philadelphia Union in 2025 on a one-year loan deal with a club option to make it permanent.

The 23-year-old will occupy an international roster spot and fill an important void created with the departure of veteran center back Jack Elliott.

“Ian is a robust, fast, center back who’s skillset matches what we are looking for in that position,” Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner said in a news release. “He is defensively sound and has a lot of quality on the ball. With room for development, I believe he can make an immediate impact on our backline, and we look forward to welcoming him to the club.”

Glavinovich, 23, has been playing for CA Newell’s of Argentine Primera Division, Argentina’s first-tier division, since 2022. He has made 30 total appearances for the Old Boys, logging one assist in that time. Of those 30 games, Glavinovich appeared in 19 matches in Copa de la Liga competitions (2023 & 2024), eight appearances in Copa Sudamericana (2023), and one appearance in Copa Argentina (2024). He ranked fourth on CA Newell’s in minutes played during the 2024 Copa de la Liga with 1,080 and earned his first career assist on January 25 at CA Central Córdoba.

Glavinovich represented Argentina on the U23 national team in 2023 and appeared in two international friendly matches.