Union pick up 2019 option on Haris Medunjanin’s contract

The Philadelphia Union announced today that they’ve picked up the club option on Haris Medunjanin’s contract, meaning that the former Bosnia & Herzegovina international will be in Philadelphia for the 2019 MLS season.

The 33 year-old Medunjanin had played 60 times for Bosnia before announcing his retirement from international football earlier this year. He also appeared twice in the 2014 World Cup for Bosnia.

Per the club’s official website:

Philadelphia Union announced today that they have exercised the 2019 contract option of midfielder Haris Medunjanin (pronounced: Harris Meh-DOON-yuh-nihn). Medunjanin, 33, has been a consistent presence in the Union midfield since his arrival ahead of the 2017 season, scoring three goals and adding 13 assists over 48 regular-season appearances (all starts).

“Haris Medunjanin is an integral part of our team, both on the field and in the locker room,” said Earnie Stewart, Philadelphia Union Sporting Director. “His technical ability and vision on the ball are among the finest in MLS, and the importance of his veteran presence in assisting our young players cannot be understated.”

Medunjanin played at a number of clubs before joining being acquired by the Union in January of 2017. Before coming to MLS, he played at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel for two different spells, one from 2010 to 2013 and again during the 2016-17 season. He also played in Spain with Deportivo La Coruña and Valladolid, and in Turkey with Gaziantepspor. He began his career in The Netherlands, playing for Sparta Rotterdam and AZ Alkmaar.

Medunjanin has been a fixture in the Union midfield since joining before the 2017 season. He played in every single MLS match in the 2017 season, and has appeared in 14 matches this season. He had sparkling offensive statistics last season, registering 12 assists and three goals. He isn’t on the same pace this season, but the introduction of Borek Dockal has reduced the Union’s reliance on Medunjanin as a playmaker.

Glad to see Medunjanin back for another year? Think he’s blocking the path of other players such as Derrick Jones? Let us know what you think in the comments!