Union add another attacking option with signing of forward Agustín Anello
The Union paid a transfer fee of around $2 million to acquire Anello, a source with knowledge of the deal told The Inquirer. He has joined the team at its preseason camp in Clearwater, Fla.
The Union have added another major signing to what has already been a busy winter transfer window for the club.
The team announced Tuesday that it had acquired Agustín Anello, a 23-year old forward who spent last season with Uruguayan team Boston River.
The Union paid a transfer fee of around $2 million to acquire Anello, a source with knowledge of the deal told The Inquirer. He has been with the team at its preseason camp in Clearwater, Fla., for a few days, and could debut in Tuesday’s final preseason game against CF Montréal (6 p.m., livestreaming on the Union’s website and YouTube).
“Agustín is a versatile, dynamic attacker,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said in the team’s release. “His development in Europe, combined with his recent breakout in Uruguay, reflects a clear upward trajectory. As a domestic player with U.S. youth national team experience, he fits our profile well.”
Anello is the second attacking option the Union have acquired from abroad this offseason. Ezekiel Alladoh, who spent last season with Swedish club IF Brommapojkarna, joined the team for a club record $4.5 million in December.
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The Athletic reported that the Union were in talks to sign Anello in January and reported that a deal was being finalized on Feb. 2. Anello let a poorly kept secret further out when he posted a picture from Clearwater on his Instagram story on Monday afternoon. The Union’s logo was visible on Anello’s shorts in the post.
Anello grew up in south Florida and moved with his family to Spain at age 10. He hasn’t lived in the United States since. At 17, he turned pro in Belgium, and played for a range of clubs there, in Croatia, and the Netherlands before moving to Uruguay in the summer of 2024.
Although it has been a long time since he last formally called America home, Anello is not a total stranger to the Union. In November 2023, he was teammates with Nathan Harriel and Jack McGlynn on a U.S. under-23 national team squad that surveyed candidates for the 2024 Olympics.
Anello scored 10 goals across all competitions for Boston River in 2025.
After their preseason finale, the Union’s next match will be a Concacaf Champions Cup game in Trinidad against Defence Force F.C. on Feb. 18.
The Union will open their MLS schedule with a trip to D.C. United on Feb. 21.
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