'We're just really excited.' USMNT center back Matt Miazga is officially an FC Cincinnati player

Persistence paid off for FC Cincinnati in the form of obtaining Matt Miazga, which will serve the club in the short and long term.

After news of Miazga transfer move from world-renowned London-based club, Chelsea FC, broke Thursday, FC Cincinnati confirmed the acquisition of the player Friday.

Miazga, 27, will fit in FC Cincinnati's roster budget on a maximum-targeted allocation money contract for three-and-a-half years with a club option for an additional year. He came to FC Cincinnati on a free transfer.

"Obviously, thrilled to be able to bring Matt to Cincinnati," FC Cincinnati GM Chris Albright said during a Friday call with reporters. "From the outset of taking (my) position nine months back or so, we knew we needed to improve defensively. We targeted a goalkeeper, a (defensive midfielder) and a center back, and obviously the missing piece so far been getting somebody that can lead the backline. To be able to land on Matt, who was our top target, we're just really excited.

The courtship between FCC and Miazga was months in the making, and Cincinnati simultaneously worked for the better part of 2022 to keep itself positioned in the top spot in the league's allocation order to be able to select Miazga off a list of U.S. men's national team and other high-profile players.

The deal is another example of the club's personnel decision-makers waiting out the marketplace in order to execute a late-transfer window acquisition, much like it did in acquiring defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo seven matches into 2022.

After Miazga gets settled in Cincinnati, he should make an immediate difference for FCC's backline, which has conceded 42 goals in 2022 – tied for third-most in the league.

The acquisition is as much for the club's future as it is the ongoing playoff push.

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In Miazga, FC Cincinnati acquired a mainstay for its backline, as well as a key pillar to help comprise the so-called spine of the team – a core group of players that positions itself in key spots up the middle of the on-field formation.

FC Cincinnati envisions the 27-year-old Miazga as part of the club's core group for years to come. That group also includes goalkeeper Roman Celentano, Nwobodo, attacking midfielder Luciano Acosta, and striker Brandon Vazquez.

Albright said Friday he thought FCC could build around Miazga for "four or five years to come."

Miazga was a product of the New York Red Bulls academy, and logged 34 appearances and 30 starts for New York Red Bulls. The bulk of that workload occurred during a breakout 2015 season in which he started 24 of the 26 games he appeared in.

Chelsea FC signed Miazga in 2016, and while he managed just two appearances for the Blues, he gained valuable experiences during subsequent loan stints that amounted to more than 130 professional appearances for five different clubs.

Chelsea loaned Miazga out to SBV Vitesse (Netherlands, 2016-2018), FC Nantes (France, 2018-19), Reading FC (England, 2019-20), RSC Anderlecht (Belgium, 2020-21) and Deportivo Alaves for last year's top-flight season in Spain.

Miazga remains an active member of the U.S. men's senior national team player pool, having last dressed for current manager Gregg Berhalter during the final two rounds of the first edition of the CONCACAF Nations League.

"He's got a unique set of experiences in that he's got experience all across Europe in top leagues and has won over there," Albright said. "I think this also gives him the ability to play right away, and obviously there's a World Cup at the end of this year. He's in the (player) pool and we feel he should be in the mix, and he's gonna get a chance to prove that."

Miazga appeared in the semifinal round against Honduras and was an unused substitute in the championship-match victory against Mexico.

While Miazga has logged time in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and the 2017 Gold Cup, the bulk of his USMNT minutes have coming in friendlies, including a start against Venezuela June 9, 2019 at the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium.

"I’m really excited to join FC Cincinnati,” Miazga said in a team news release. “It’s a pleasure to be back in the United States and be able to compete in MLS again. The project here in Cincinnati is something that has drawn me here, and I want to say a special thank you to Jeff Berding, Chris Albright and Pat Noonan, who were all a big part of me coming to FCC. I can’t wait to meet all the amazing supporters, who I’ve heard so many good things about, at TQL stadium.”

Miazga's signing is FC Cincinnati's fourth move of the transfer window, which started with a trade of financial assets in exchange for Philadelphia Union striker, Sergio Santos.

After weeks of relative quiet following the trade for Santos, The Enquirer reported via multiple sources that the club would mutually terminate Haris Medunjanin's contract and send Under-22 Initiative player Isaac Atanga out on loan to Turkish club, Göztepe S.K.

Medunjanin's move out of FC Cincinnati was confirmed Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'We're just really excited.' USMNT center back Matt Miazga is officially an FC Cincinnati player