Petar Musa: FC Dallas sign Benfica star for a record transfer fee
Despite a deal falling through to sell top striker Jesús Ferreira to Russian side Spartak Moscow, Major League Soccer side FC Dallas have added a big piece to their attack. On European deadline day, FC Dallas are set to sign Croatian forward Petar Musa for €10 million plus €3 million in add-ons from Portuguese giants Benfica. Musa is now the most expensive signing in FC Dallas’ history (overview).
Velasco, Acosta, Gruezo & Co. FC Dallas record transfers
Signed from Boavista for €5.5m in the summer of 2022, the 25-year-old center-forward arrives in MLS after scoring five goals and two assists in 14 Liga Portugal games this season. Often coming off the bench, Musa, in fact, has been very effective for the Portuguese giants this season. On average, the striker has scored every 104 minutes for his club this season and increased his market value to €8 million.
Benfica, however, signed talented Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo for €18m from Santos this winter. With Arthur Cabral, Rafa, and the currently injured Casper Tengstedt, Benfica have three more strikers in the squad. As a result, it isn’t surprising that head coach Roger Schmidt has been willing to sell one of his center-forwards, especially with a significant profit.
Petar Musa: A long-term replacement for Jesús Ferreira?
What can FC Dallas expect from their new club record signing? Without a doubt, goals. According to Wyscout, Musa is third in the Portuguese top division with 0.76 goals per 90 minutes. An efficient goalscoring pace, given that Musa’s xG per 90 minutes has been just 0.44 this season, enough to rank him 20th in the league. The other question is how Musa compares with what Dallas already have in the squad. Right now, the primary center-forward is Ferreira, and with the league nixing his transfer to Russia, the center-forward is expected to stay for now. Ferreira, however, could drop back and play behind Musa, who, at 190cm (6’2 feet), is a more physically imposing forward.
Almada, Musa and Co.: Major League Soccer record transfers
Indeed, when comparing Ferreira’s 2023 and Musa’s 2023/24 numbers from Wyscout, the Croatian could provide an upgrade on the no.9 position. Despite playing in a more competitive league, Musa’s 0.47 goals per 90 across all competitions rank just behind Ferreira’s 0.51 goals per 90 minutes from last season. Musa has more touches in the box (4.28 vs 3.58) and attempts more dribbles (2.34 vs 1.68). Ferreira is a more efficient shooter, however, with 47.31% of his shots on target versus Musa’s 38.89%.
With all that in mind, Musa might be an upgrade on the no.9 position over Ferreira, especially as the Croatian has produced his numbers in one of Europe’s top 10 leagues. The transfer also raises another question entirely. With Ferreira’s transfer to Spartak Moscow canceled at the last moment, could this be an indication that the US men’s national team striker is on his way to Europe sooner rather than later? In that case, Musa could be a very impressive one-for-one replacement.
- Total Market Value:
- €360.75m
- Competition:
- Liga Portugal
- Position:
- 2.
- Manager:
- Roger Schmidt
- Squad size:
- 24
- Latest Transfer:
- Gianluca Prestianni
- Total Market Value:
- €50.23m
- Competition:
- Major League Soccer
- Manager:
- Nico Estévez
- Squad size:
- 33
- Latest Transfer:
- Carl Sainté
