Columbus Crew to sign Australian national team center back Milos Degenek
Jacob Myers
About a month until the start of the 2022 season, the Crew's offseason is picking up, and they have secured one of their top offseason needs.
The Crew have finalized a deal with Australian men’s national team center back Milos Degenek on a free transfer, sources told The Dispatch. Degenek left Serbian club Red Star Belgrade this winter after the club allowed his contract to expire.
Degenek, 27, will be under contract for multiple years. Serbian media reported Degenek's contract had a base salary of $550,000, which would make Degenek the second highest paid center back on the roster. The sources could not confirm the salary figure.
The Crew desperately needed more depth at center back after parting ways with Vito Wormgoor and Aboubacar Keita.
At the start of January, the Crew had only two center backs on the roster — Jonathan Mensah and Josh Williams. They signed MLS veteran Jalil Anibaba out of free agency on a one-year deal with a one-year option, and the older brother of midfielder Aidan Morris, Jake Morris, who has yet to play in MLS.
Degenek fills the void of another starting-quality center back whom the Crew see as filling in for either Williams or Mensah when needed.
Degenek, who was born in Croatia, has made 33 appearances for the Australian national team and has played 10 seasons in Europe, including the last 3 ½ years with Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian first division.
Degenek has experience in the most prestigious club tournament in the world, playing in 16 UEFA Champions League qualification matches as well as 12 Champions League group-stage matches. Degenek also made 11 appearances in Europa League qualification and group-stage games.
Prior to his transfer to Red Star, Degenek began his career with the second team of German club Stuttgart. He was signed by TSV 1860 Munich in the German second division, 2. Bundesliga. In the middle of his second season, Degenek left at the end of his contract and signed with Yokohama in the Japanese first division.
He played a year and a half in Japan before bouncing between Saudi club Al-Hilal Riyadh and Red Star, where he had played since the start of the 2019 season. He made 132 appearances with Red Star, scoring three goals and six assists.
The Crew are currently in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to start training camp, which wraps up in Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 19. The Crew open the 2022 season on Feb. 26 against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Lower.com Field.