Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia Union loan David Vazquez to San Diego with option to buy
Philadelphia Union announced on Monday that midfielder David Vazquez has been loaned to San Diego FC for the remainder of the season with an option to make the deal permanent. The Union will receive $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) split 50-50 between the 2025 and 2026 MLS seasons.
The move comes as a surprise to many Union fans, as Vazquez was considered one of the most promising talents to come from the Union academy in recent history. Currently 19 years old, Vazquez signed his Homegrown contract for the Union early in the 2024 season. This year, the young midfielder has made 14 starts for Union II in MLS NEXT Pro and made his MLS debut on June 29 at Columbus. His debut is his only senior appearance to date.
While Vazquez is a clearly talented player, it appears the Union could not guarantee him first team minutes. Even after the departure of Dániel Gazdag, the addition of Indiana Vassilev and Ben Bender in the attacking midfield position kept Vazquez down on the depth chart. 15-year-old Cavan Sullivan was also preferred in the position over Vazquez. The logjam at the position affected others as well, as 18-year-old C.J. Olney was loaned out recently to Lexington SC of the USL Championship.
Despite the other options at the position, losing Vazquez is a painful one for Philadelphia. The young midfielder has long been regarded as a top talent in the nation, especially for the United States Youth National Teams. Vazquez put on stellar performances at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in 2023 as well as the U-20 Championship in 2024. He appeared in every game for the United States in the 2023 U-17 World Cup, scoring in the Round of 16 against Germany. Vazquez was an integral part of the 2024 Union II team that made the MLS NEXT Pro Final, winning the Eastern Conference along the way.
Despite plenty of successes at the youth level, the Union have failed to find a way to get Vazquez significant senior minutes. Even though the deal between Philadelphia and San Diego is a loan, the writing seems to be on the wall for his time in Philadelphia. The new cash for player trades rule in MLS allows for clubs to sell maximum two players for cash each season. The Union have already sold Jack McGlynn to Houston and Dániel Gazdag to Columbus in cash for player deals. It is a possibility that the loan is merely a technicality to allow the Union to eventually sell the player next season.
From the player’s perspective, a change of scenery could be highly beneficial for the young Vazquez. First, Vazquez returns to his home of southern California. A Los Angeles native, Vazquez spent 8 years at Total Futbol Academy starting at the age of 8, joining the Union at 16. Second, the path to first team minutes at San Diego is a bit clearer than it was in Philadelphia. While San Diego is a strong team, they are not quite as deep in the attacking positions as Philadelphia is, opening the door for Vazquez to at least make substitution appearances on the wings. Third, Vazquez is now joining a club that sought out to sign him, fully appreciating his potential and talent today. Vazquez signed his Homegrown contract in April of 2024. At this time, Philadelphia was unsure if the club would be able to sign Cavan Sullivan to a professional contract. The unique deal for the starlet Sullivan was agreed a month later in May. Despite signing first, Sullivan has had countless opportunities for the first team before Vazquez has. While Sullivan is the most highly regarded American prospect in recent history, the path to first team minutes was much clearer for Vazquez when he signed his contract. That said, San Diego FC currently do not have an MLS NEXT Pro affiliation, so any minutes in the remainder of this season for Vazquez will be with the first team.
The Union do not lose much in the short term with this deal, but it does feel a bit short-sighted. Philadelphia looked short of attacking creativity when Quinn Sullivan was away for the Gold Cup, scoring 0 goals from open play without him in 3 matches from June 25th to July 5th. While the older Sullivan recently renewed a contract with the Union, Tom Bogert reported European teams have already contacted the Union regarding his availability. While a transfer doesn’t seem imminent, the younger Sullivan has already agreed to join Manchester City at age 18 or earlier and has left the Union to train with the Manchester City U21’s this week. It is unclear how much longer the logjam at attacking midfield will last.
It is possible that the Union are looking even further into the future for potential successors in position. This February, the Union 16-year-old midfielder Willyam Ferreira to an MLS NEXT Pro contract. Ferreira is a very technical and creative attacking midfielder that Union technical staff could have very high hopes for. The Union net $100,000 GAM for the loan of Vazquez, split between $50,000 in 2025 GAM and $50,000 in 2026. If the purchase option is triggered by San Diego, Philadelphia will receive a further transfer fee.
