FC Dallas acquires Petar Musa from Benfica in record deal
FC Dallas acquires Petar Musa from Benfica in record deal
The new Designated Player is the club's most expensive signing to date.
After a couple of weeks of rumors and speculation, FC Dallas has done what some might consider the impossible. Today, they have announced the signing of Croatian forward Petar Musa from the Portuguese side of Benfica.
Musa will occupy a Designated Player slot for the club after completing what has been reported as the most expensive transfer in FC Dallas history at roughly $9.5 million with up to $3 million in bonuses1.
FC Dallas has signed Musa to a four-year contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028. Musa will occupy an international slot on the roster, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Dallas acquired Musa’s Discovery Priority from the New England Revolution in exchange for $100,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money (GAM).
“We've secured a world-class attacker in the prime of his career in Petar,” said FC Dallas Technical Director André Zanotta in the club’s press release. “His versatility and proven skills against top-level opponents makes him a formidable addition to our team. Petar's signing marks a historic moment for us.”
Fabrizio Romano first reported the deal was verbally agreed. Several European teams were hoping to sign Musa during the European transfer window, but FC Dallas found a way to get the deal over the finish line.
The 25-year old has bounced around a few European clubs before making the jump to Benfica, where he has been productive in limited game time. He has six goals and two assists in 890 minutes this season.
Prior to joining Benfica, Musa spent one season on loan with Boavista FC where he was one of the top goal scorers, netting 11 league goals and tallying 2,597 minutes across all competitions. In 2021, Musa spent half a season on loan with Bundesliga side Union Berlin, appearing 14 times for the German team.
Musa has six caps with Croatia since March 2023. He made his national team debut in a 1-1 draw vs. Wales during the European Qualifiers on March 25, 2023. Musa was also part of the Croatia U21 and U18 setup, where he played a combined total of 14 matches.
FC Dallas confirmed that this transfer was the largest in the club’s history but did not specify an amount.
Finally, a taller more physical forward option. Nothing against smaller or more technical players but I’ve seen games where we struggle against a low block that we should have won. Having someone that we can whip in a cross and he actually has a decent opportunity to compete in the air with an MLS CB is going to help. Won’t have to depend on the counter as much and extra cover or set pieces will help. I’m very excited and hope he’s the next big thing for us!