Philadelphia Union sporting director Earnie Stewart has stressed the need for a new controlling midfielder, and it looks like he got his man.
The Union added to their midfield on Tuesday, announcing that they’ve signed Bosnia and Herzegovina international Haris Medunjanin to a two-year deal with an option for a third using Targeted Allocation Money.
Medunjanin, 31, joins Philadelphia after recording six goals in 56 appearances across all competitions in one year with Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. Prior to moving to Israel, Medunjanin spent time with Deportivo La Coruña and Real Valladolid in Spain, Gaziantepspor in Turkey, had a separate stint with Maccabi Tel Aviv and played in the Netherlands for Sparta Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar, the same club Stewart ran from 2010-2015.
“We are extremely happy to add a player of Haris’ caliber. Having played at the highest levels of our game, [he] brings both quality and experience to our midfield,” Stewart said in a statement released by the club. “We’re anxious for Haris to join our group as we continue to prepare for the start of the season.”
Internationally, Medunjanin has 55 career caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He appeared twice for the country at the 2014 World Cup and has been on the roster for all four of their UEFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers, scoring in their 5-0 win against Estonia in September.
The central midfielder will join a Union midfield that includes US internationals Alejandro Bedoya and Chris Pontius, Maurice Edu, Roland Alberg and Ilsinho, among others.
