After another disappointing MLS campaign in 2018, Minnesota United will try to make a better impact next year with an improved midfield. The team announced on Thursday that they had signed Slovakia international midfielder Jan Gregus on a designated player contract.
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GregusWe've signed Jan Gregus as a Designated Player. pic.twitter.com/qOhnqSGn7H
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) December 20, 2018
“We believe he can be our anchor in the midfield,” – said Minnesota’s sporting director Manny Lagos. “He’s the type of player that we need in order to continue the development of our roster and our club.“
Gregus’ spent the last three years in Danish Superliga, where he played for Denmark’s most successful soccer club F.C. Copenhagen. During his time there, the 27-year-old played 107 matches in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing the same number of assists.
Jan Gregus comes to Minnesota United with a reputation of a defensive minded midfielder who is excellent in breaking opponents’ plays. This is something United badly needs since they conceded a total of 141 goals in the last two season, which is most by any team in MLS during that period.
Besides his defensive abilities, Minnesota believes that Gregus is also a gifted passer who could have a significant impact in the attacking game as well.
“He’s got a great range of passes, both short and long. He has a great stride to goal, and an imposing stature at 6-foot-3-inches,” – said team’s manager Adrian Heath. “We know we’ve got excellent attacking pieces on the roster, but we need to be able to supply the ball to those pieces and we feel that Jan can be the supplier and connector from the midfield to the attack.“
