HOUSTON (Feb. 3, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC acquired midfielder Jack McGlynn in a cash trade with the Philadelphia Union, both teams announced today. The Dynamo sent $2.1 million in exchange for the 21-year-old U.S. Men’s National Team player, marking the first cash-for-player trade for a Homegrown player in MLS history and one of the largest trades in league history. McGlynn will occupy a U22 Initiative Slot.
“Jack is one of the bright, young American talents in both MLS and the U.S. National Team player pool, and we look forward to his continued development in Houston,” said President of Soccer Pat Onstad. “We expect him to thrive in our possession-oriented style of play, as Jack’s strengths match the attributes that we value in our central midfielders. With over 100 MLS appearances, he is a very proven player to occupy our fourth U22 Initiative spot on the roster. We are excited to welcome Jack to Houston as we push for a successful 20th Season.”
McGlynn made his first start for the senior USMNT in January, recording his debut goal and assist in a 3-1 victory over Venezuela on Jan. 18. The midfielder’s breakout camp under head coach Mauricio Pochettino included another 45 minutes versus Costa Rica, while his senior debut came in January 2024 in a friendly versus Slovenia.
Since making his MLS debut for Philadelphia, McGlynn totaled 108 regular season and postseason appearances, including seven goals and 15 assists.
McGlynn finished the 2024 season with a career-high of 30 appearances and 25 starts for Philadelphia, totaling 2,313 minutes of regular season action. The midfielder also set career-highs in goals and assists, finding the back of the net four times and adding seven assists. In Leagues Cup play, he tallied two assists and helped the Union reach the competition’s semifinal versus Columbus Crew SC. His performances throughout the year earned him the No. 3 on the MLS 22 under 22 list, marking his third consecutive appearance.
The 21-year-old began his professional career with Philadelphia Union II in 2020 before signing a pre-contract with the first team on August 17. McGlynn made his MLS debut on April 24, 2021, versus Inter Miami CF and earned his first start two weeks later in a 2-0 victory versus Chicago Fire FC. The New York native made 19 appearances (seven starts) during his first MLS season, along with three postseason appearances. Notably, he scored a crucial penalty in a shootout versus Nashville SC in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
McGlynn made 23 regular season appearances and three postseason appearances in 2022, while totaling one goal and four assists on the way to Philadelphia topping the Eastern Conference and reaching the MLS Cup.
In 2023, McGlynn held the highest passing percentage (85.8%) among all players on the team for the third consecutive year with at least 100 passes made. He also notched the game-winning assist versus New England Revolution to help the team advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The midfielder totaled 30 appearances, including two goals and three assists, over the course of the regular and post seasons.
In addition to his three senior USMNT appearances, McGlynn earned 25 caps for the U.S. across the U-20 and U-23 levels and made his mark in Paris with the U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team where he featured in all four matches as they advanced to the Quarterfinals. McGlynn registered an assist in the Group A finale against Guinea.
TRANSACTION: Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) acquired midfielder Jack McGlynn from the Philadelphia Union (MLS) in exchange for $2.1 million. Houston could trade up to $1,300,000 if certain performance-based metrics are achieved. Philadelphia will retain a sell-on percentage of any future transfer. McGlynn will occupy a U22 Initiative Slot. The trade marks the second cash-for-player trade in MLS history and the first for an MLS Homegrown player.
