It's been a busy couple of days for the San Jose Earthquakes with Albanian international Jahmir Hyka joining the club on Friday after Danny Hoesen and Florian Jungwirthsigning on Thursday.
The Quakes announced on Friday that they signed Hyka to a multi-year contract using Targeted Allocation Money, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.
"Hyka brings an element of surprise to any team and to any match," said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. "Being a player that is very strong technically, he attacks the defense in one-on-one situations without any indication of which way he will go or the pass that he will be making. This means that our strikers will be well served and the element of surprise will allow us to attack from many fronts."
Hyka, 28, joins San Jose from FC Luzern in the Swiss Super League. He scored six goals and added three assists in 15 Super League matches during the 2016-17 season, also competing in Europa League qualifiers and the Swiss Cup. He originally joined Luzern in 2011 and made 182 appearances for the side, tallying 25 goals and 20 assists.
In addition to his time in Switzerland, Hyka has also competed for top-flight teams in Greece, Norway and Albania, while making 16 appearances for FSV Mainz 05 in the German Bundesliga during the 2010-11 season. He has appeared in 219 matches during his career, recording 29 goals and 20 assists.
"Jahmir is a creative player that will make us a more dangerous team on the attack," said Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. "He can play on both sides of the field and should open up more opportunities for our team to score."
Hyka is a regular with the Albania National Team, making his senior team debut at 18 years old in 2007. He has scored a pair of goals in 42 career caps, including 12 appearances during World Cup qualifiers and another seven in UEFA Euro qualifiers.
He should fill a starting role for the Quakes in 2017, with either wing looking like an option. Simon Dawkins, Shea Salinas and Cordell Cato were the only wingers on the roster before this signing.
MLS FANTASY PRICE:
Jahmir Hyka – Midfielder – $8.0
SIMILAR TO: Gerso Fernandes, Miguel Ibarra, Roland Lamah
