FC Dallas sign Petar Musa from Benfica for club-record fee | MLSSoccer.com

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

FC Dallas have acquired striker Petar Musa from Portuguese powerhouse side Benfica, the club announced Thursday.

The 25-year-old Croatian international reportedly signs for a club-record $9.7 million fee that could rise to $13 million with add-ons. That surpasses the reported near-$7 million fee FC Dallas used in February 2022 to land attacker Alan Velasco from Independiente in his native Argentina.

Musa, who occupies a Designated Player roster slot, is under contract through the 2027 MLS season with an option for 2028. Additionally, 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,” technical director André Zanotta said in a release. “His versatility and proven skills against top-level opponents make him a formidable addition to our team. Petar’s signing marks a historic moment for us.”

While at Benfica, Musa tallied 17g/5a in 66 matches across all competitions. He often appeared as a super-sub, both in the UEFA Champions League and in helping Benfica win a Primeira Liga title.

Musa has also played for a host of other European clubs, including Union Berlin (German Bundesliga), Slavia Prague (Czech First League), Boavista (Portugal Primeira Liga) and more.

Internationally, Musa has played six times for Croatia.

“Petar is a player of a very high level. I want to thank the owners for being able to bring Petar on board, for the effort that the owners have made in signing him,” said head coach Nico Estévez. “We are looking forward to working with him to help him provide FC Dallas fans with many goals.”

Heading into 2024, FC Dallas are looking to build off a seventh-place finish in the Western Conference. Their season opener is Feb. 24 vs. the San Jose Earthquakes (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).