TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Minnesota United have signed New Zealand international defensive midfielder James Musa, the club announced Friday.
The 27-year-old has a green card and will not occupy an international roster slot.
“James is one of them players who’s been in and out of the league and he’s been on that cusp of being in the league,” MNUFC head coach Adrian Heath said in a statement. “We had a good long chat with James because we’ve got the likes of Hassani Dotson, Jan Gregus, Ozzie Alonso in front of him — a really competitive area of the field — and he’s up for the challenge.
“Physically, he’s very imposing, very athletic. Really good personality, he’s very strong-willed and we think he’s going to come in and try to compete. He knows it’s going to be tough but he’s prepared to embrace the challenge and compete for a starting spot. He’s got the opportunity, so it’s up to him to take it.”
He spent the last two years with Phoenix Rising in the USL Championship. He made 20 starts for a Phoenix team that had a 20-match unbeaten run in 2019. During his two seasons with Phoenix Rising, Musa had 54 appearances and accumulated almost 4,000 minutes with three assists and two goals scored.
The well-traveled Musa, who has three caps for the All Whites, began his professional career with Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League. He signed with Fulham FC of the English Premier League, in 2012 and spent time on loan with Hereford United FC.
Musa also played for Saint Louis FC and Swope Park Rangers in the USL. He was briefly signed to Sporting Kansas City's first team, making his MLS debut with August 12, 2017 against the Seattle Sounders.
