Transfer: Philadelphia Union Sell Jack McGlynn To Houston Dynamo For $2.1M

Union homegrown midfielder departs after four seasons, with potential add-ons and a significant sell-on clause in the deal.

(Credit: Philadelphia Union)

Chester, Pa. — The Philadelphia Union have announced they have sold homegrown midfielder Jack McGlynn to Houston Dynamo for $2.1 million, plus a future sell-on percentage and an additional $1.3 million if certain performance metrics are met.

Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the sell-on clause in the deal will see the Union receive 50% of any sale by Houston outside of MLS. However, from that percentage, the Union would owe 20% to New York City FC and 20% to New York Red Bulls because the Union broke MLS’ territorial rights when they originally signed McGlynn.

McGlynn signed his most recent contract in February 2023, extending through the 2025 season, with club options through the 2027 season. Last year, he earned $226,533, according to the MLSPA, which ranked as the 17th-highest salary on the Union.

The deal between Philadelphia and Houston involves actual cash, not General Allocation Money (GAM). MLS announced this offseason that one of their new rule changes ahead of 2025 will allow teams to acquire up to two players and trade away up to two players per year for cash. McGlynn becomes the second player this offseason to be part of a cash-for-player trade, following Sporting KC's recent $4 million acquisition of LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic.

“We want to thank Jack for his dedication and contributions to the team, both on and off the field," said Philadelphia Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner. "Over the past three years, he has been a key part of our midfield, and we are incredibly proud of his growth. At this time, we believe this move is best for both the club and for Jack, allowing us to use the significant proceeds to reinvest and refine our roster, while placing him in an environment suited to his style of play and continued development. We have no doubt he’ll enjoy a successful career, and we look forward to following his journey.”

McGlynn, 21, joined the Philadelphia Union academy in 2019 from his hometown club BW Gottschee in New York. He went on to play for Union II during the 2020 season, appearing in 14 matches (13 starts), scoring five goals, and assisting three in 1,123 minutes. On August 17, 2020, he became the 14th player to sign a homegrown contract with the Philadelphia Union, with the deal going into effect in 2021. He made his debut for the Union on April 14, 2021, playing 21 minutes in a 4-0 win against Saprissa in the Concacaf Champions Cup. He made his MLS debut on April 24, 2021, in a 2-1 Union loss to Inter Miami. In his four seasons with the Union, he made 135 appearances (81 starts), scoring eight goals and assisting 16 in 7,983 minutes.

McGlynn has represented the United States at multiple youth levels—U16, U20, U23—and was also selected as one of the 23 players to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. He made his debut for the senior national team on January 20, 2024, against Slovenia in a 1-0 USMNT loss, playing 29 minutes.

(Jack McGlynn at the Paris Olympics - Credit: Jack McGlynn Instagram)

Most recently, McGlynn came off a strong January camp with the USMNT, where he scored his first goal on January 18, 2025, against Venezuela in a 3-1 USMNT win. He also registered an assist in the same game. That match marked his first start for the national team and his first full 90-minute appearance. He also played 45 minutes against Costa Rica on January 23, 2025, in a 3-0 USMNT win.

When Ernst Tanner fired Jim Curtin and brought in Bradley Carnell as the next head coach of the Union, Tanner repeatedly emphasized getting the Union back to their high-press style of play from 2019 and 2020. Over the years, Curtin had gradually tweaked the system, but last season, the shift was especially evident. Various factors contributed to this change, including injuries and the Union frequently conceding first or trailing in games. Last year, the team held onto possession more than in previous seasons, with a significant part of their strategy involving getting McGlynn on the ball to dictate play.

Looking at McGlynn’s numbers from last season on FBref, he had the second-most touches on the team (1,941), trailing only Kai Wagner (2,234). On a per-90-minute basis, McGlynn led the team with 75.5 touches, followed by Wagner with 69.2. McGlynn also recorded the second-most chances created last season (53) and led the team with 208 passes into the final third.

Despite these strong numbers, McGlynn's playing style does not align with the high-tempo system that Carnell and Tanner aim to implement. As a result, moving him to a team that better suits his style of play made sense.

Interestingly, McGlynn’s first goal for the Union came against Houston Dynamo on July 30, 2022, at Subaru Park in a 6-0 Union victory.

The Union’s Last Two Transfer Windows

The Union have finally begun to reshape a roster that had long been overdue for change. However, when evaluating the last two transfer windows (including this current one), the club's return on outgoing players has been underwhelming. In this period, the Union have moved on from 10 players, accumulating only $4.3 million in transfer fees.

Six of those players (Sam Adeniran, Brandan Craig, Jack Elliott, Leon Flach, Matt Real, and Joaquin Torres) left as free agents, while Julián Carranza was sold to Feyenoord with only a small sell-on clause. Among homegrown and drafted players (Craig, Elliott, McGlynn, and Real), only McGlynn generated a transfer fee. Additionally, Sam Adeniran, Julián Carranza, Damion Lowe, and Joaquin Torres were acquired via MLS trades for GAM, meaning the club didn't spend direct cash. Of those four, only Lowe brought in a return. Leon Flach was purchased from St. Pauli in 2021 for $250,000, while José Martínez was acquired from Zulia FC for $300,000 in 2020. Of the two, only Martínez generated a profit upon his departure.

Overall, the Union's transfer business in terms of profit over the last two windows has been disappointing.

Union Outgoing Transfers (Last Two Windows)

• Julián Carranza - Feyenoord (Free)

• Damion Lowe - Al Akhdoud ($200K)

• José Martínez - Corinthians ($2M)

• Leon Flach - Jagiellonia Białystok (Free)

• Jack Elliott - Chicago Fire (Free)

• Joaquin Torres - Free Agent

• Matt Real - Colorado Springs Switchbacks (Free)

• Sam Adeniran - LASK (Free)

• Brandan Craig - Free Agent

• Jack McGlynn - Houston Dynamo ($2.1M)

The Union have not been as active as fans might have hoped in this winter transfer window, with only one official signing so far: Ian Glavinovich, who joined on loan from Newell’s Old Boys. Reports from José Nuñez suggest that the Union have signed Frankie Westfield and Neil Pierre to homegrown contracts and are finalizing a deal for Serbian midfielder Jovan Lukić, but none of these signings have been confirmed by the club yet. The good news for Union fans is that MLS’ primary transfer window remains open until April 23, leaving plenty of time for additional signings and announcements.

Video Credit:

MLS and TNT