UPDATE (6:10 pm ET): The Philadelphia Union confirmed the signing of Jamiro Monteiro on Friday evening for a fee of $2 million.
ORIGINAL: The Philadelphia Union have acquired midfielder Jamiro Monteiro from FC Metz for a potential club-record fee of $1.7 million, which could rise to $2 million pending incentives, a source tells MLSsoccer.com. ESPN's Taylor Twellman was the first to break the news that a deal was done.
Monteiro, 26, excelled on loan with Philadelphia in 2019, making 22 MLS starts while adding four goals and nine assists from the midfield. The Dutch-born Cape Verde international a ground-covering box-to-box midfielder who typifies the Union's new high-pressing system.
The Union are likely the sixth non-expansion side to break their club-record transfer fee this offseason, following Sporting KC, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Jose Earthquakes, Columbus Crew SC and FC Cincinnati. Philly's previous record transfer fee was reportedly $1 million spent to acquire Alejandro Bedoya in 2016. Bedoya remains the club's captain and formed a top midfield partnership with Monteiro in 2019.
Monteiro made six appearances with Metz before moving to Philadelphia. He featured for SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden and Heracles Almelo in the top two divisions in Holland prior to earning his move to France. He had four goals and three assists in 34 matches in the Dutch top division in 2017/18 before moving to Metz.
Philadelphia's offseason is kicking into gear, with Monteiro the club's second signing following Venezuelan midfielder Jose Andres Martinez. More additions will follow in the coming weeks. The club are replacing the likes of Haris Medunjanin, Marco Fabian, Auston Trusty, Fafa Picault and others as the Union look to build on a club-record 55 points in 2019.
