TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
The Philadelphia Union have acquired Mexico international midfielder Marco Fabian from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, the club announced Friday. Fabian will be added to the roster as a Designated Player following receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa and will occupy an international roster slot.
Fabian, 29, joined Frankfurt in 2016 after spending all of his career in Mexico. He immediately got off the ground running at Frankfurt, making 35 league appearances over his first season and a half with seven goals and seven assists though was limited to just eight appearances with one goal over the last 18 months.
“We have been targeting Marco as a creative midfielder and we are extremely happy to complete this deal to bring him to Philadelphia,” said Union sporting director Ernst Tanner in a statement. “Marco is a high caliber number 10, a true professional, and we believe he is a good fit for our system. He has played the game at the highest levels, whether in the German Bundesliga or of course with the Mexican National Team at multiple FIFA World Cups and the Olympic Games. We are looking forward to welcoming Marco as we turn our attention to the final phase of our preseason in Clearwater, followed by the season opener on March 2 vs. Toronto FC.”
Prior to moving to Germany, Fabian played for eight years in his native Mexico, coming up through the academy system of Chivas Guadalajara and debuting for the club’s first team in late 2007. Across all competitions, he made a total of 232 appearances for the club, scoring 57 goals while adding 36 assists.
Fabian has 42 caps and nine goals for El Tri on the senior level, and was a contributor off the bench in both the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. With the Mexican Under-23s, Fabian captured the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament title, scoring the game-tying goal in the final and tying for the tournament lead with five goals.
Fabian joins a talented midfield in Philadelphia, led by Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin, despite losing star midfielder Borek Dockal after last season.
