Sanders Ngabo: Philadelphia Union secure Danish talent described as next Gnabry

It is one of the more surprising transfers ahead of the 2024 Major League Soccer season. Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Union announced that they had signed midfielder Sanders Ngabo from Lyngby BK to a two-year contract, beginning in 2024, with a club option for 2026 and 2027. A four-times U19 Danish national team player, Ngabo will be part of the first team roster next season and occupy an international roster slot at the Union.

“Sanders is a young, promising midfielder with a strong potential to do well in our system,” said Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner in a club statement. “Once rated a top Danish talent, we believe he’ll have the resources and direction needed to succeed and flourish in this environment. We look forward to welcoming him to the team and watching him develop.” 

Ngabo made his debut as a 17-year-old in the Danish 1.Division (second division) in 2021 when his side beat Nyköbing FC 2-1. That season, Ngabo also became the club's second youngest goalscorer in history when he scored in the 4-2 win over Fremad Amager. That season, Lyngby finished second and reached promotion to the Danish Superliga. It was here where Ngabo’s development stalled a bit as he featured in just 60 minutes across five Superliga games and an additional 41 minutes across three games in the relegation round. The prospect of playing time hasn’t exactly improved this season either, as Ngabo has played just 52 minutes across four games across all competitions for Lyngby. 

Who is Sanders Ngabo? – Philadelphia Union secure mini-Gnabry

In other words, Ngabo is a bit of a distressed asset with a high upside, which makes him a perfect target for Union sporting director Tanner. Whether it is Kai Wagner, Julián Carranza, Leon Flach, or Daniel Gázdag, Tanner has an incredible track record when it comes to finding players that can increase their stock significantly in Major League Soccer. In fact, when it comes to all MLS clubs, Philadelphia Union have the biggest net positive between the purchase value of the team and the actual squad value of the club today.  

With that in mind, there is no doubt that Tanner sees the upside in Ngabo. But what sort of player is the U19 Danish national team player? “Sanders is a small and fast player with some good dribbling qualities,” Emil Bellaiche, a football journalist who writes for the Danish outlet Bold.dk said to Transfermarkt. While Bellaiche believes that Ngabo’s talent was always obvious, for one reason or another, he just hasn’t been able to break into Lyngby’s first team. 

Described as a similar player to German national team player Serge Gnabry, Ngabo has an incredible toolkit to draw from. “Philadelphia can expect a player who, on a good day, can change a game in his own,” Bellaiche said. “But for some games, he just disappears, so if they can get him to perform more often, then they get a very good player. He is still young, and the potential is there.” Getting the most out of that potential is now the task of Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtain and his coaching staff.