[Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union]

On Tuesday morning, the Philadelphia Union officially announced the signing of Milan Iloski on a permanent transfer from FC Nordsjælland. He will join the active roster following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Iloski has signed a contract with the Club through 2027 with an option for 2028.

Iloski, 26, signed a loan deal with San Diego FC in April, where he scored 10 goals across 14 appearances (3 starts). The American forward made MLS history by scoring four goals in 12 minutes against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the fastest four-goals scored by a single player in MLS history.

Given his success with the club, San Diego took up negotiations with Iloski for a permanent deal. Upon a stalemate in negotiations, San Diego terminated his loan and the Union swooped in.

To advance the Union’s waiver priority to be the first in line, the Union sent $100,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM) plus $150,000 in contingent GAM to CF Montreal for the first overall waiver slot. Notably, the Union acquired $100,000 of GAM in the David Vazquez loan deal to San Diego, so moving Vazquez not only freed up roster space for Iloski, it also provided resources for Ernst Tanner and company to make the deal happen.

“Milan is a dynamic, instinctive goal scorer who thrives in attacking transition,” said Ernst Tanner, Sporting Director, Philadelphia Union. “His ability to convert goal chances is extraordinary, and he has a willingness to defend. We look forward to integrating him into the team quickly.”

Iloski becomes one of four choices in the attacking spot for the Union, and it looks to be a great bit of business for the Supporters’ Shield leaders.

However, among the Union faithful, the excitement over the new attacking signing may be muted. Iloski’s signing spurs questions regarding the future of prodigious goal-scorer and MLS All Star MVP Tai Baribo, along with that of his strike partner Mikael Uhre.

Rumors of interest in Baribo from other MLS clubs and Brazilian side Fluminense have swirled in recent weeks. Those rumors only grew stronger when he was excluded from the roster  for the Eintracht Frankfurt friendly on Saturday (though he is back in training ahead of this Saturday’s home game against Toronto).

Uhre’s contract is up at the end of this season, and has seen a slightly diminished role with the arrival of Bruno Damiani at the beginning of the season. Iloski is not reported to be on a DP contract, which is a positive takeaway regarding what the future will hold for both Baribo and Uhre for the remainder of the season. But Iloski is a player who knows MLS and has proven to be effective both off the bench and as a starter.

The Escondido, CA native can certainly score goals. This notion is further bolstered by his 43 goals in 70 matches with USL Championship side Orange County SC, featuring a golden boot winning season in 2022. Iloski, an American college soccer product, also played three seasons at UCLA where he registered 23 goals in 46 appearances.

The Union will be keen to add his goal-scoring prowess and strong ability in transition into the striker rotation once Iloski’s ITC is finalized – which can have a varying timeline.