UPDATE TUESDAY, 11:40 a.m. ET: The Union and Belgian club KRC Genk have agreed to a deal for Mark McKenzie, according to Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
MONDAY, 11:58 a.m. ET: The list of European clubs that have Philadelphia Union center back Mark McKenzie as a transfer target now includes Belgian side KRC Genk, according to a report from VoetbalPrimeur.be.
McKenzie, who already has publicly addressed interest from Scottish Premier League powerhouse Celtic FC, would fill needs along the backline for Genk. They’re currently second in the Belgian Pro League behind Club Brugge and consistently compete for a spot in the UEFA Champions League or Europa League.
Aside from Genk and Celtic, McKenzie also has suitors from the Bundesliga and Premier League, according to Union sporting director Ernst Tanner. Earlier in December, Tanner offered perspective on the situation surrounding Philadelphia’s 21-year-old Homegrown defender.
"We don't have any sort of pressure on him and he also doesn't need to force a transfer,” Tanner said. “He's a good player and plays in a competitive league. There is nothing on the table for him, but I know there are a lot of rumors out and we are certainly following that. There are some loose discussions at this moment, but nothing concrete."
McKenzie placed on the league’s Best XI for the 2020 season after helping Philadelphia win the Supporters’ Shield, their first trophy in club history. He also had two goals and three assists in 22 games.
McKenzie has made no secret of his desire to test himself in Europe, having joined Philadelphia ahead of the 2018 season after after one year at Wake Forest University. He has one senior-team appearance with the US men’s national team and captained the US at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
