<
        >

          Philadelphia Union sign Mexico's Marco Fabian to designated player slot

          play
          Pochettino: Football in the USA 'growing incredibly' (0:41)

          Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino says he sees growth in football in the USA, and doesn't rule out one day managing in the MLS. (0:41)

          • ESPN
          Feb 8, 2019, 09:56 PM

          The Philadelphia Union have signed Mexico international Marco Fabian as its newest designated player, the club announced on Friday.

          Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Philly.com reported that it is a one-year contract with two years of club options. The club did not have to pay a transfer fee to Eintracht Frankfurt but will send the German side five percent of any fee should Fabian be sold in the future.

          ESPN FC sources said on Tuesday that Fabian had been in contact with the Union and was close to signing a deal with the MLS outfit amid interest from clubs in China and the UAE.

          In a statement on the Union website, Fabian wrote: "Life is full of changes, dreams, challenges. Today I've closed a very important chapter in my life and I have nothing but appreciation for Eintracht Frankfurt and for the people of the city, who opened their doors and hearts to me during these last three years.

          "I have always liked challenges and today I walk towards another. MLS is a league that has not only developed well in the past years, but the teams of this league have made the sport just as professional as the NFL, MLB or NBA.

          "I want for Philadelphia to have a champion in soccer and I want, as always, to carry the name of Mexico high."

          Fabian becomes just the second Mexican-born player to ever join the Union after Cristhian Hernandez who played two matches for the club in 2012.

          The 29-year-old has spent parts of the past four seasons with Eintracht Frankfurt but has made just two league and cup appearances during the current campaign totaling 127 minutes.

          Prior to joining Frankfurt in January of 2016, Fabian had spent the entirety of his career in Mexico. Other than a one-year loan spell with Cruz Azul in 2014, Fabian played with Chivas, making 232 appearances, scoring 57 goals.

          At international level, Fabian has made 42 appearances and scored nine goals.

          He was on Mexico's roster for both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, and was part of the side that claimed the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics Games.

          Philadelphia begins the 2019 MLS season with a home match against Toronto FC on March 2.