Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union
On Thursday morning, Ernst Tanner fulfilled one of the wishes on many Philadelphia Union fans’ Christmas lists.
The club announced the loan signing of 21-year-old Argentine striker Julian Carranza from Inter Miami CF, in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
Carranza joins the Union as a Young Designated Player. His loan runs through the end of 2022, with an option to make the loan permanent.
“He is aggressive in the box and brings the versatility of a natural center forward who fits the profile of a striker we were looking for, as well as our style of play,” Tanner said in a press release.
Miami spent $6 million to sign Carranza in July 2019 as one of the club’s first ever players, but he was used primarily as a substitute over his two seasons. He has three goals in 41 appearances, starting 11 games for the Florida side.
Before that, Carranza made 48 appearances for Club Atletico Banfield in Argentina’s top league, scoring 11 goals and adding two assists.
Carranza joins a striker stable that includes Kacper Przybylko, Sergio Santos, and Cory Burke. It remains to be seen whether Tanner will make further additions — or subtractions — to his group of attackers before the 2022 season kicks off in late February.
Good business. Using a draft pick that isnt worth much, the U get him for full season to see if he’s worth paying for. Cap hit for a young DP is 150k.
For accuracy’s sake – cap hit for 21+ is 200k. Carranza is 21.
Free is good. No matter how you dice it.
In an unrelated move Union owners announced their getting rid of Phang to pay for an off-budget $600k charge for a new player.
If Phang gets $600k/year, consider me on the way to resigning and taking that job instead.
Good piece of business if it works.
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But I’m getting a strong gets in Customs dog house and sent on a boat to the undying lands never to be seen again vibe from him.
Valued at 3.3 mill on trasfermarkt
This is definitely a discount move, but it looks like the kind of savvy discount move where you get something high quality at a discount instead of just grabbing whatever’s available on the discount rack. The Union striking core isn’t amazing, but its good enough that if Carranza isn’t up to snuff, he’ll sit on the bench.
Miami is a clownshoes organization, so I don’t really hold a player failing there against them. Since he was highly rated before he arrived in Miami, I’m giving him the benefit of doubt. Lets see if he earns it on the pitch.
My thoughts, as well.
Great piece of business as usual from Tanner. Really hope this isn’t it though. Would really like to see one more striker brought in for competition.
Hard to know what the kid is, because he didn’t get a lot of PT there. Decent wheels, good spring for a kid around 6 ft. R-footed, would fit with Sergio the streaky. ET don’t care ’bout no stinkin’ draft picks.
Everybody knows they need another, but what kind? For the sake of the M I think they need a true CF that puts Przy & Burke on the bench. (Weghorst please). There’s talk of a F out of Caracas that plays similar to Santos, but is even more of a tank.
That would tell me a great deal, because beside replacing Wagner there isn’t that much else to do beside moving guys on.
Henderson inherited a mess in Miami. Good GM, first job to get under the sanctions while rebuilding on the fly. Anytime you have to have a fire sale, the league will take advantage. Godd piece of business by the U….but not enough.
Wouldn’t mind seeing them also add an older striker who could come in as a last 20-30 minutes to scare defenses – like a Connor Casey used to.
A Rondon, Bony or Dzeko type.
I know that is not what the team is focused on, but it gives the manager another tool in his box.
Sometimes a change of scenery is the kind of Kickstart that a player needs! Maybe this is just what the Tanner(Dr.) ordered! Tanner has made more good moves than bad. So I’m glad he found something to add! Let’s go!
Meh. All I see is a 4th striker who has not scored enough…
Maybe Herr Tanner is planning on packaging 2 to get a real MLS best striker for us? Hope so.
Another consideration…. Higuain brothers sucked the air out of Miami’s strikeforce, Gonzalo more so than anyone.
Another of those high priced EURO players who is “MLS lazy” after they get here.
So maybe Her Tanner sees something in this kid that, surrounded by other highly skilled kids, not ego maniacal EURO players… well, maybe, just maybe, this IS the signing of the year, and we now have our 15 – 20 goal scorer hiding inside Mr.Carranza?
Wonder if he’s related to the NJ Pineland’s ill fated pilot?