Union sign Gazdag to new contract
Union midfielder Daniel Gazdag will be staying in Philadelphia for some time.
The midfielder inked a new contract through the 2025 season with a team option for 2026. It also makes the Hungarian, who scored 22 goals last year, a designated player.
The 26-year-old set a franchise record for goals in a season in 2022, adding 10 assists. He will also switch numbers this season from No. 6 to No. 10.
Gazdag had signed in May 2021, a deal delayed to help him secure survival from relegation for Hungarian club Honved. That deal was for two years with team options, but the new contract allays worries about his being poached by a European club without a transfer fee. He will get a significant raise from the $586,250 he made last year.
“Daniel became one of the top two-way players in Major League Soccer as well as a league MVP candidate last season,” Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner said in a team release. “His 22 goals and 10 assists in the regular season show his value to our attack, and his defensive work rate and intelligence were key in helping us build a top defensive unit. He’s a great fit for our aggressive style of play and we are excited to reward him with a Designated Player contract that keeps him in Philadelphia for the coming years.”
Gazdag earned a spot on MLS’s Best XI last year, helping the club finish first in the Eastern Conference and reach MLS Cup final. He finished second in the MLS Golden Boot race behind Hany Mukhtar and was the sixth player in MLS history with 20 goals and 10 assists in a season.
Gazdag remains part of the Hungarian national team, with 18 caps and four goals. He was included in the squad for the rescheduled 2021 European championships but forced to pull out with an injury. Playing in Euro 2024 is a significant career goal.
Gazdag’s new contact gives the Union three designated players to enter the season for the first time, joining Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza (on a young DP deal), though one or both could be paid down with allocation money.