Source: MSN Pro Soccer Wire, posted here for comment

Photo by Marjorie Elzey

U.S. men’s national team prospect Jack McGlynn is reportedly on the move, in what could be the first major trade using a new MLS rule.

A report from GiveMeSport says that the 21-year-old midfielder has been traded to the Houston Dynamo, with the Philadelphia Union netting a fee “in the region of $2 million.” Further reporting from the Philadelphia Inquirer placed the transfer fee in excess of $2 million, and added that the Union will receive 50% of any transfer fee Houston gets should McGlynn be transferred in the future.

Per the reports, teams in England, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain have held talks about a McGlynn transfer, but Houston’s offer won out. In January, MLS announced that teams can now make up to two trades involving cash, rather than needing to move players or MLS-only assets like allocation money, international spots, or draft picks.

McGlynn is among the more highly-touted players to come through an MLS academy in recent years, and made his USMNT debut in January 2024. Last month, he appeared in wins over Venezuela and Costa Rica, showcasing his vaunted passing ability and scoring his first international goal.

Across four seasons, McGlynn has appeared for the Union 108 times (regular season and playoffs), posting seven goals and 15 assists. However, he has been something of an awkward fit with the hard-charging, high-pressing Union philosophy. The New York native suits a possession-oriented style in which his team controls the game at a slower tempo, and at times the Union’s tactical needs kept McGlynn on the bench.

That won’t be a problem with the Dynamo, who head coach Ben Olsen built around Mexico international Héctor Herrera in recent seasons. Herrera departed the club this winter, eventually joining Toluca in Liga MX, and McGlynn figures to be a plug-and-play replacement as the deep-lying playmaker in Olsen’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

Interestingly, the Union’s substantial share of a hypothetical future transfer fee may not amount to as much as the club would have liked. Per the Philadelphia Inquirer, the club broke MLS rules governing academy signings by leaving their geographic territory to get McGlynn into its academy in 2019. With McGlynn’s family in favor of the move, MLS eventually allowed the signing to stand, but sanctions against Philadelphia included granting 20% of the player’s rights to both New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.

McGlynn’s reported move is not the only intra-MLS cash deal that could come to fruition in the near future. GiveMeSport reported Friday that Sporting Kansas City is completing a $4 million deal to land LA Galaxy striker Dejan Joveljic, another seven-figure deal that underlines the potential for this new rule to change the dynamics across the league.

PSP Ed. Note: As of this writing, there has been no comment posted online by the Philadelphia Union.

This article originally appeared on Pro Soccer Wire: USMNT: McGlynn reportedly traded to Houston Dynamo in major MLS deal