Michael Thurk Once Again Linked To The Union As He Tries To Escape FC Augsburg

The Philadelphia Union have once again been linked to out-of-favor FC Augsburg striker Michael Thurk, who is still seeking a way out of the the German Bundesliga club.

Suspended since August, Thurk had originally attempted to move from Germany to the United States before the close of the American summer transfer window, but the forward and the Union or MLS could not come to an agreement on a contract and negotiations broke down. Thurk stayed in Germany disappointed, forced to wait out a long time of separation from professional soccer.

Augsburg have shown no signs of removing Thurk's ban, and the 35-year-old striker still has a year remaining on his contract with the Bundesliga club. Despite having scored 51 goals in 104 games for Augsburg, and helping the team get promotion to the German top league, Thurk was handed a suspension when he refused to leave Augsburg upon the team's move to the Bundesliga. Thurk lead 2. Bundesliga in scoring the previous year, but a tactical change led to a wholly unanticipated push for his transfer out of Augsburg.

The deep lying forward is also linked to the Los Angeles Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps, though both the Galaxy and Union have indirect links to Thurk. The striker played in Germany at the same time as the Galaxy star foward Landon Donovan during his short spell with Bayern Munich, and he played against the Union's starting goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon in 2. Bundesliga, when Mondragon was with FC Koln.

Thurk has scored 118 goals in 332 games, spending his entire career in Germany.