What Frankie Amaya’s Unrest Could Mean for the Philadelphia Union

Frankie Amaya, the first overall pick from the 2019 MLS SuperDraft has recently stated his discontent with his club FC Cincinnati and their goals moving forward. He stated, “During this offseason, I’ve realized that the club doesn’t have the same level of commitment to me, so I have asked the club to trade me as I don’t feel my goals can be achieved in Cincinnati” (Via The Athletic). What could Frankie Amaya’s unrest mean for his future in MLS, could he end up coming to the Philadelphia Union?

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Frankie Amaya’s Unrest

Many teams around the league have inquired about obtaining the services of the 20- year-old. Despite FC Cincinnati saying he will not be moved, they continue to hold out hope he will ultimately leave.

Now how does this affect the Union? Based on what I’ve seen Amaya lines up as either the 10 or the eight. Both midfield positions, and it seems that he is best suited for the eight. He possesses the attacking capabilities of an attacking midfielder (10) but has a propensity to defend extremely well. This could be an unbelievable signing for the Union for two main reasons.

Two reason’s Amaya could make sense in Philly

The first being that despite Fontana being a good option for replacing Brenden Aaronson at attacking mid. The position is still a question mark. Amaya could fill in at that spot and be a creative presence if the likes of Fontana or Paxton Aaronson don’t work out right away.

The other option and one I think is better, is signing him for immediate production for attacking mid, rotate Fontana in at striker and at attacking mid to truly see where he is more comfortable, and then ultimately work Amaya in as Alejandro Bedoya’s long-term replacement at the center mid role.

At 33 years old the club captain’s playing years are surely coming to an end, and bringing in a young, hardworking kid who could be the face of the club for years to come is something I am completely on board with. It would cost the Union a pretty penny, somewhere in the range of $2-$4 million in allocation money, some draft picks, and or an international player spot.

Could the Union do this?

Philly has the money from the Aaronson and McKenzie deals. They don’t care about the picks as they have shown that they feel there are better ways to acquire players than in the draft. As for the international player spot, if they have to do it, they should.

To sum up, Frankie Amaya is a special player that the Philadelphia Union could desperately use now and for years to come. Even though FC Cincinnati has said they will not move him, the Union should put in an offer that they can’t refuse to go get this kid. In all honesty, he is more than worth it for everything he offers both in terms of positional flexibility, and soccer ability in general.