Nashville SC's roster continues to take shape, with the 2020 MLS expansion franchise landing Brondby's Hany Mukhtar as its first designated player.
The 24-year-old will continue to play with the Swedish side until January when he will make the transition to the MLS side.
Mukhtar becomes the sixth player signed with two others, Aníbal Godoy and winger David Accam, finishing out the current MLS season with their respective teams before joining up.
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Having come through the ranks in Germany before bouncing around in Europe, the attacker believes he can continue to develop in United States and feels as though the timing was perfect to get in on the ground floor with Nashville.
“I had a great feeling when I was talking with the club," Mukhtar told MLSsoccer.com. "I had the feeling it was the right step for me in my life. I think we can grow together, that’s the nice thing.
"They want to build something great and I’m not finished in my career. I want to develop as well. It fits perfect.”
Considered both a scoring threat and a playmaker, Mukhtar is looking forward to becoming a key cog in the roster being built ahead of the club's first season in the top flight, a league he believes is still growing in quality.
“The league is growing a lot," he said. "The quality of the game is getting better and better, [and] I think I can develop in this league. That’s why I chose to come to America. They said I’d be a key player; that’s important for a player to get the feeling to be important.
"Everybody in life wants to be important in their job. That’s great. I want to give them something back. I’ll give my best on the pitch for sure.”
The former German youth international also felt the time was right to leave his current club, having seen the manager who brought him in let go.
“The coach who brought me to Brondby, (Alexander Zorniger), he got sacked last year," Mukhtar explained. "That was a key point for my decision. We had a special relationship and he brought me to the club.
"The new coach is great as well, but it’s always different when a specific coach wanted you and brought you to the club. He really wanted me to stay at Brondby, plus I had the feeling it could be good if I stayed one more year. They really needed me, they sold some players. They decided I had to stay and I was fine with that situation.”
