Philadelphia Union have announced the signing of 26-year-old striker Milan Iloski as the team enters the final phase of the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The club currently leads both the Eastern Conference and the Supporter’s Shield standings with nine regular season matches remaining.
Sporting Director Ernst Tanner spoke about what Iloski brings to the squad. “The goals speak for themselves. He’s a very quick, aggressive striker-type. We do not have exactly that type of strike in our roster, and when we got the opportunity, we all thought, ‘okay, we’re going to need to strike here.'”
Tanner described Iloski as a versatile player who is comfortable playing as a second striker and combining with teammates up front. “His finishing quality is really out of the roof, and that was very impressive. That’s what strikers usually should have,” he said.
This move marks Philadelphia’s second deal with San Diego in recent weeks. Tanner explained why collaboration between the two clubs has been effective: “San Diego is a new franchise, but they share kind of the same vision, in a little bit different form, like us. They are very, very good business partners. They don’t have an academy right now, better said, they have one, but they start with an under-13, so it will be a very good partner in the future as well. That’s what we probably saw in all the trades we were doing so far with them, and it’s a really good relationship we are having with these guys.”
With playoffs approaching and silverware within reach, Tanner emphasized preparation and focus for the final stretch of games. “It is, in a way, now, the balance to prepare for playoffs, but at the same time, focus on the silverware we could be winning. That’s what we are trying to do from now,” he said.
He added: “It’s always more difficult to stay up top instead of getting there. We all know that and acknowledge that, but I think we have shown what we are capable to do it, and we need to be competitive in the professional environment, and that’s what we want to be. That’s what we want to prepare, and I hope that at the end of the year, we are at least holding something in our hands.”
Tanner expects Iloski’s impact will be immediate due to his familiarity with MLS: “I think he will help pretty immediately, as he knows the league, he has been over here. Luckily, we don’t need to go through a visa process. In general, if you sign somebody so late in the year, it’s also always a signing for the future in addition, but here I think we get lucky to cover both topics.”
