Transfers: Philadelphia Union Acquire Bruno Damiani From Nacional For $3.4M
Union Break Club Transfer Record to Land 22-Year-Old Uruguayan Striker.
Chester, Pa. — The Philadelphia Union have announced they have acquired Uruguayan forward Bruno Damiani from Nacional for a club-record fee. Damiani signs a contract through 2028, with a club option for 2029.
The fee is $3.4 million, surpassing the previous record of $2.8 million set in 2022 for Mikael Uhre from Brøndby.
One thing worth noting is that Damiani had recently signed a contract extension with Nacional on January 30, 2025, through December 2027. In doing so, the long-term contract helped Nacional maximize Damiani’s value when selling him to the Union.
Damiani, 22, originally joined Nacional’s U19 team in 2019 at the age of 17 and made his debut for Nacional’s reserve team in 2021. He made his first-team debut on April 1, 2023, against CA Peñarol. He registered his first assist for the club 18 days later in the Copa Libertadores against Colombian side Independiente Medellín. Damiani’s first goal for the club came in the same competition against Brazilian side Internacional. He finished the season appearing in 20 matches (four starts), scoring two goals and assisting three in 622 minutes.
The following season, Damiani was sent on loan to Boston River (the same club Union II forward José Riasco was loaned to), which also plays in the Uruguayan Primera División. Damiani enjoyed a breakout season with Boston River, appearing in 38 matches (33 starts), scoring 12 goals, and assisting five in 2,966 minutes.
“Bruno is the exact type of player that we have been looking to add to our striker unit,” said Philadelphia Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner. “He is a tall, physical striker with a proven ability to dominate and be a danger in the final third. Along with his size and strength, he is a clinical finisher and is relentless on the attack. We look forward to getting him integrated quickly and seeing his impact on the pitch.”
Internationally, Damiani earned his first call-up to the Uruguayan National Team in May 2024, making his senior debut in a friendly against Costa Rica.
Union Need Another International Roster Slot
By signing Damiani, the Union add another international player to their roster, which poses a slight issue, as they have already used all seven of their international slots this season. MLS teams start with eight slots per year, and while there is no cap on how many slots a team can accumulate, they must acquire additional ones via trade.
Last season, the Union traded with Nashville SC, receiving $350K in General Allocation Money (GAM) while sending Nashville a 2024 and 2025 international roster slot. When asked Tuesday at Damiani’s introductory press conference, Ernst Tanner said the club is close to having a player obtain a green card, but they don’t expect it to be finalized by February 21, the MLS roster compliance deadline.
“Well, there is one green card very close to getting a slot, but we don't expect to get it done before [the] roster freeze, but certainly [by the] summer. And that's when we have more space available.”
Since Tanner doesn’t believe the club will have the green card sorted out before Friday’s roster compliance deadline, the Union could acquire a slot via trade. So far this winter, five trades have involved only GAM and an international roster slot, with prices ranging from $175K to $200K in GAM:
San Diego → $175K GAM from Inter Miami
Nashville → $200K GAM from Inter Miami
Portland → $200K GAM from Inter Miami
Colorado → $175K GAM from Inter Miami
D.C. United → $185K GAM from RSL
If the Union did not want to trade for a slot, they could loan one of their players that take up an international roster slot, and replace that player with another international player that will take up a slot. The seven players that take up slots are listed below:
Tai Baribo
Jesús Bueno
Ian Glavinovich
Danley Jean Jacques
Jovan Lukić
Olwethu Makhanya
Oliver Semmle
Potential Solutions
Oliver Semmle would be the most logical candidate for the player close to acquiring his green card, as he has been in the U.S. since 2018. Semmle attended Barton Community College before transferring to Monroe College and later Marshall University. After college, he signed professionally with USL Championship side Louisville City ahead of the 2023 season.
The Union could theoretically loan out Semmle, which would open a slot for Damiani, and use Andrew Rick as their backup goalkeeper. MLS allows players six short-term call-ups per season, so the Union could call up Gavin Atkinson or another academy goalkeeper to serve as the backup when Rick is needed during Andre Blake’s international duty.
Another option would be loaning out Nelson Pierre, as there is little need for seven forwards on the roster. By loaning out both Pierre and Semmle, the Union would open two roster spots. They could then sign Union II goalkeeper Mike Sheridan or another non-international goalkeeper as their third-string option if they prefer not to rely on short-term call-ups.
There is still plenty of time for the Union to finalize their roster before the season opener, and the lack of an international slot for Damiani does not warrant panic from fans.
One thing Union fans should credit Tanner for is delivering on his promise to sign a defender, midfielder, and forward this offseason. The club has now brought in center back Ian Glavinovich on loan from Newell’s Old Boys, signed Jovan Lukić from Spartak Subotica, and added Damiani from Nacional.
This is a team that has needed an overhaul for quite some time, and now that it has happened, it’s time to see how they compete in the upcoming season with a total of six new players added over the winter.
How Close Is Damiani To Being Ready?
Fitness-wise, Damiani shouldn’t have an issue, as he has already played in two matches this year with Nacional prior to his move. He last played on February 2 against Montevideo City Torque, where he went the full 90 minutes. Ernst Tanner stated the club wants to get Damiani eligible to play “as soon as possible.” Head coach Bradley Carnell acknowledged that while it will take some time for Damiani to integrate fully, his playing style aligns well with the team’s philosophy.
“It's going to take a little bit of time to get him fully integrated, but that's the exciting part now. We know he's really a philosophy player—he's aggressive against the ball, holds up the play really well, is strong in the air, and is a dominating threat in the box. So all of these things, if you put them in our game model, all speak to exactly how he can complement the team.”
The Union’s season-opening match is against Orlando City this Saturday at 7:30 PM at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando.
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