Philadelphia Union
Making sense of Jack McGlynn’s shock move to Houston

Philadelphia Union is once again pioneering a new Major League Soccer initiative, as Jack McGlynn became the first homegrown player (and second overall) moved in the new cash market introduced by the league this offseason.
The shocking move that leaked on Saturday Morning 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.