CHESTER, Pa.—The Philadelphia Union announced today that 2022 MLS Defender of the year and two-time All Star center back Jakob Glesnes is going to LA Galaxy, along with the homegrown priority for Jamir Johnson, in exchange for a guaranteed $1,100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). The Union will receive $500,000 in GAM in 2026 and $600,000 in GAM in 2027. They may also acquire an additional $1,100,000 in GAM if certain performance metrics are met by the two players. Additionally, while the Galaxy will receive Johnson’s homegrown priority, the Union will receive a future trade/sell on percentage for Johnson.

Glesnes, the 31-year-old towering Norwegian center back, came to the Union in 2020 and established himself as not only a stalwart defender, but a fan favorite. He became known for his ability to strike a long ball, especially in 2021 against Atlanta, and then New York Red Bulls in the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs in the 123rd minute to seal the win, propelling fans to yell “shoot” practically anytime he had the ball thereafter. He was an MLS All Star three times (2022, 2023, 2025) and in the MLS Best XI two times (2022, 2025). During his time with the Union, he had 10 goals and eight assists in 224 appearances. Prior to joining the Union, he played in his native Norway.

From the Union’s press release:

“Jakob has been an integral part of our defensive unit and the success they have had during his time with the club,” said Philadelphia Union Head Coach Bradley Carnell. “Since joining the Union, he has played a major role in the team’s success, and we remain grateful for his leadership on and off the field. This move provides significant financial opportunities to continue to invest and strengthen our roster while reinforcing our competitive strategy. This also allows Jakob to continue competing at a high level in MLS where we’re confident he’ll continue to be successful. We wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

Johnson, 17, was an Academy amateur splitting time with the U-18 squad and Union II. In 2025 with Union II, he played in 12 matches for 169 minutes, all coming off the bench. He scored two goals and had one assist. He also played in nine matches in 2024 for Union II, starting two. While often listed/played as a forward, he has been described as more of a winger and so it is possible that he did not fit the system in Philadelphia. In addition to other US Youth National Team call ups, most recently he was a member of the US U-17 World Cup squad where he had some quality performances.

“He hasn’t really fully broken in, I would say, with Union II, and that could just happen at a different time frame, you know? So it’s just because it’s some guys getting minutes right now. That doesn’t mean a year from now that that can’t change,” Union II head coach Ryan Richter had said of Johnson when he got called to the U-17 World Cup squad. With the national team call ups and time spent at PSV in the summer, his time was more limited with Union II, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in the LA Galaxy system.

Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union/Union II