Let’s get it back to the Union with a Daniel Gazdag update:

CHESTER, Pa. (January 4, 2023) –  Philadelphia Union announced today that the club has reached an agreement on a new contract with midfielder Daniel Gazdag. Under the new contract, the 26-year-old Hungarian International will occupy a Designated Player spot with the Union and is guaranteed through 2025 with an option for 2026. Gazdag will also switch his number from six to 10, becoming the ninth player in team history to wear the coveted number.

Gazdag scored 22 goals and bagged 10 assists this year, shattering Sebastien Le Toux’s long-standing record for most combined goals+assists in a single season. Those 22 goals alone were the most scored by an Union player in a year, and he did so playing as a #10 behind two strikers in the Union’s 4-4-2 diamond system (*yes, he did take the penalties). Gazdag was rewarded for his play by being named to the MLS Best 11 team and also solidified his place in the Hungary national team on the strength of his club performances.

Extending him really is a no brainer, and bumping him up to DP status is fine. They weren’t gonna go out and sign Mbappe or whatever. The Union will be returning at least 9 of their 11 starters from the team that went to MLS Cup, and that could be 10 or 11 if Kai Wagner and Jose Martinez end up staying. They’re the two candidates for overseas transfers, though Martinez’s stock I think has fallen off a bit when it seemed like he’d be a shoe-in for Europe not long ago. Wagner has been linked to several European teams, included Leeds United, so we’ll have to wait patiently for news on that front.