Julián Carranza in high demand - But why does everyone want the Philadelphia Union star

Both Olympiacos and Werder Bremen wanted to sign Philadelphia Union star Julián Carranza this summer, confirming that the Argentine is one of the Major League Soccer’s biggest stars. But the journey to become a star in MLS was far from linear. Carranza arrived in MLS with plenty of promise. That was back in 2019 when expansion side Inter Miami CF signed the then 19-year-old Banfield forward for a deal worth $6 million (€5.45m). Together with Matías Pellegrini and Mexican superstar Rodolfo Pizarro, Carranza was supposed to spearhead Inter Miami in the club’s 2020 inaugural season.

It wasn’t meant to be, of course. Inter Miami, in fact, were a disaster until Lionel Messi and his friends showed up to turn around the franchise in spectacular fashion. Although the club made the post-season in 2020, off-field issues with the salary cap and boring performances on the pitch dominated the headlines. But at least the decision-makers who put together the squad in 2019 can now say that they might have gotten something right when they signed Carranza, even if the Argentine never fulfilled his potential in an Inter Miami shirt. 

In December 2021, Inter Miami sent Carranza on loan to league rivals Philadelphia Union in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. That deal also included an option to make the deal permanent for $500,000 in General Allocation Money. An option that sporting director Ernst Tanner was happy to trigger in July 2022. In fact, that deal could turn out to be another masterstroke by one of the best sporting directors in MLS. After all, Carranza has not only rebuilt his market from a low point of €3m when he first joined the Union back to €6m as part of the August market value update but is also in high demand abroad. 

Olympiacos and Werder want Carranza – The Union star by the numbers 

According to a report by CBS reporter Nico Cantor, Olympiacos wanted to sign Carranza for an initial €7m plus add-ons ahead of the transfer window closing in Greece. They were not the only ones looking at adding Carranza. Transfermarkt can confirm an initial report by kicker that Bundesliga side Werder Bremen wanted to sign Carranza to replace German national team player Niclas Füllkrug on Sep. 1. But a deal was too last minute and complicated to be completed, and Werder signed Rafael Borré on loan, from league competitor Frankfurt instead. 

The two stories highlight that Carranza’s stock has not only risen, but the Argentine could soon add a long list of Philadelphia stars to be sold to a European top club (top transfers at a glance). The number one reason why clubs want Carranza is that the Argentine has turned into a productive goalscorer since joining the Union. In 2022, Carranza scored 14 goals and six assists in 31 regular season games for the Union. This season, Carranza has contributed to 38% of the Union’s goals by scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 31 games across all competitions.

According to Opta, Carranza ranks second with 27 goals scored over the last two seasons among MLS forwards, just behind FC Dallas striker Jesús Ferreira (27). His ten assists over the last two seasons, in the meantime, rank him fifth among all MLS strikers. No other striker, in fact, has fired more shots on target during that span than Carranza (69). Finally, with six game-winners, Carranza ranks tenth among all MLS strikers over the last two seasons.

 

In other words, the Argentine has developed into an elite MLS striker in Philadelphia. What makes Carranza dangerous is his ability to read the space very well but also act as a hold-up player or target man. As a result, the Argentine can easily be integrated in a fluid attack. It is interesting that Werder looked at him as a Füllkrug replacement, as Carranza is a bit of a different profile. More like Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski, the striker likes to drop deep and help create attacks. Carranza also often finishes attacking plays outside the box and is more of an all-round striker than a typical box no.9.