The Philadelphia Union are reportedly in talks to sign Hungarian midfielder Dániel Gazdag, according to a recent report by The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing a Hungarian soccer portal csakfoci.hu. The player, currently strengthening the ranks of the local team Budapest Honvéd FC and the Hungarian national team, is having his best season so far in the local top-tier league NB1: he has played in 26 matches to date, scoring 13 goals and 5 assists, becoming one of the best goalscorers of the league.
Taking a chance?
Bringing in a player from half a world away can have as unpredictable results as going all-in on a roulette table at JackpotCity, winning, and letting it ride. Of course, when you do that, the excitement of every round increases, but playing it safe at one of JackpotCity’s blackjack tables seems a better idea any day. Except in this case, the Union’s choice is closer to flipping a coin than to a game of roulette at JackpotCity: The Union may just have drawn a joker with the signing of the young Hungarian player.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder joined the ranks of Budapest Honvéd in 2013 (he didn’t play any games in Hungary’s top-flight league until 2014). Since then, he played in a total of 54 league games in the NB1, scoring twice for his team, and was capped 6 times in the National Team, scoring once. Over the years, he was chosen the best under-21 player in the league in the 2017-2018 season, also scoring the “Goal of the Year” in the same season.
Not written in stone
But don’t bet on the transfer just yet. Aside from the fact that Gazdag’s dream job would be playing for a Serie A team, he reportedly wants to finish the NB1 season with Honvéd, making sure that the team doesn’t relegate when the tournament is done in the middle of May. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Union would like to have him as soon as possible, before the end of the US transfer window.
If the transfer is completed, Gazdag will be just the third Hungarian soccer player to join an MLS team. Another Budapest player, MTK’s Schön Szabolcs has signed with FC Dallas earlier this month, with former Újpest FC striker Dániel Sallói playing with Sporting Kansas City since 2016.
Dedicated
Gazdag is dedicated to his team, his national squad, and his career. In an interview, he revealed that his goals are performing as well as he possibly can in his current team, help it avoid relegation from NB1, and perhaps increase his chances to make it into the Hungarian squad playing in the European Championship.
Plus, he is proud of being part of the Hungarian national team. In an interview, he was asked about the goal he scored against the Andorra national team in the World Cup qualifiers, to which he revealed that an Andorran player offered him to switch jerseys – and he refused, saying that he wouldn’t give away his jersey for all the money in the world.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
