Philadelphia Union Sign Midfielder Danley Jean Jacques

The 24-year-old Haitian midfielder comes to the Union from FC Metz.

The Philadelphia Union officially announced the signing of Haitian midfielder Danley Jean Jacques on Thursday.

The 24-year-old comes to Major League Soccer from FC Metz in France, the same club the Union bought Jamiro Monteiro from.

“We are excited to welcome Danley to the Philadelphia Union. He is a versatile player in the midfield and has proven himself in a top league,” Union sporting director, Ernst Tanner said in the club’s press release. “He is a quick, physical player who fits our style of play and has the ability to make an immediate impact.”

The Union had to pay the Portland Timbers $100,000 in general allocation money to acquire Jean Jacques’ Discovery Priority rights.

That just drives home the point that MLS roster acquisition rules are the dumbest thing on the planet, but that’s a rant for another day.

Metz were relegated from France’s Ligue 1 last season, so it’s not a huge surprise to see them willing to sell off some players to add funds to the club. The transfer fee the Union paid to Metz was not made public, but I’d assume it isn’t a massive number.

The Union took advantage of Metz’s situation and probably helped Metz a bit by taking someone off their books while they try to cut some salary after their relegation.

Jean Jacques fits the profile of player the Union should have been after this past offseason.

He’s a 24-year-old central midfielder, who was signed through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028.

It’s a move to get fresh legs into the midfield and potentially replace some players in the current squad.

Jose Martinez may be on the way out after his strong Copa America. That would be an opportunity for the Union to sell at the highest point they can get for Martinez.

Jack McGlynn has a future overseas, but nothing concrete has come through. Union head coach Jim Curtin mentioned during his Friday press conference that the Union “received calls” from clubs for McGlynn and Nathan Harriel after the Summer Olympics, but no offers have been made. That’s a natural circumstance after a big international tournament.

And of course Alejandro Bedoya can be replaced after the 2024 season as well depending on how he and the coaching staff feel about his role as a player.

Unless you’ve watched a ton of FC Metz, which very people on this side of the Atlantic have, Jean Jacques’ game isn’t well known.

We do know he’s a central midfielder that plays with a bit of an edge based off minimal highlights available on the internet.

If anything’s, he’s a building block for the future and provides more depth in the immediate short term for the rest of the 2024 campaign.