Union in talks to sign striker Bruno Damiani, who’d be their most expensive signing ever

The Union seem to have found the third starting-caliber striker they need to start the season.

A source with knowledge of the matter told The Inquirer on Tuesday that the team is in talks to sign 22-year-old Uruguayan Bruno Damiani, of Nacional in his native country.

You might not have heard of him, as often is the case with Union signings, but the transfer fee tells of his potential: $3.4 million, a new club record.

Though the deal isn’t done yet, it’s far enough along that reports got out in South America early Tuesday morning. If it is sealed, Damiani would join incumbent strikers Mikael Uhre and Tai Baribo atop the depth chart. He also would join Uhre and Dániel Gazdag as designated players.

Damiani would be classified a little differently, though, because DPs under age 23 are allowed a reduced salary-cap hit of $200,000. The Union used the same mechanism to bring in Julián Carranza.

» READ MORE: Ernst Tanner knows Union fans are frustrated, and promises improvement this year

Along with playing for Nacional, one of Uruguay’s biggest clubs, Damiani spent 2024 on loan at Boston River, another Uruguayan team. He had 12 goals and five assists in 38 games there. Coincidentally, he was teammates with Union forward prospect José Riasco, as he spent last year on loan there.

Damiani also has played once for Uruguay’s national team, albeit with a less-than-top squad in a friendly at Costa Rica last year.

The Union have a history of waiting until well into the offseason to make big signings. Uhre’s $2.8 million signing, the club’s previous record fee, was finished in late January 2022. Jamiro Monteiro was signed on loan in March 2019, though the $2 million purchase option (the record fee before Uhre) was taken up in January 2020. Marco Fabián, whose $2.27 million salary remains a record in that column, was signed in February 2019.

Damiani would join centerback Ian Glavinovich and central midfielder Jovan Lukić as this winter’s acquisitions. The club could do with one more starting centerback for depth’s sake before the 2025 campaign kicks off. That’s coming in just under two weeks against Orlando City on Feb. 22.

The Union’s last preseason game is Friday vs. CF Montréal in suburban Orlando, then they’ll come back to Chester for a week of work before the games count.

» READ MORE: Former Union prospect Brandan Craig starts a new chapter in MLS with CF Montréal

It’s been no secret for a while that young forward Eddy Davis would get a first-team contract this year, and it became official on Tuesday. The 18-year-old signed a deal guaranteed through 2027 with team-held options for 2028 and 2029.

Davis scored 14 goals for the reserve squad last year as an amateur — not even on a professional reserve-team contract — to help Union II reach the MLS Next Pro title game. He stands 6 feet and 150 pounds, and though his place on the depth chart remains to be seen, he has plenty of raw tools.

“Eddy took a big step in his growth and development last year, proving himself to be a relentless striker,” sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement “His ability to read the game and create scoring opportunities makes him a valuable asset. He has the mentality and passion we look for in young players, and is a prime example of the strong talent we continue to foster in our system.”

» READ MORE: Bradley Carnell isn’t going to rush much-touted Union centerback prospect Neil Pierre into action