USMNT’s Jordan Pefok joins Union Berlin from Young Boys

US men’s national team forward Jordan Pefok has joined Union Berlin from Swiss team Young Boys ahead of the 2022/2023 Bundesliga season. 

He departs as the club’s top scorer with 22 last season, and 42 goals in 88 overall appearances. Pefok is now expected to take over Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi at Union Berlin after he left to join Nottingham Forest. 

“Jordan is a striker who will suit us well with the way he plays soccer and who can play in different systems. We’re looking forward to him, his goal threat, and the fact that he has chosen Union,” club managing director Oliver Ruhnert said. 

Pefok kicked off his career in France, joining Reims at seven years old and working through the ranks to debut in Ligue 1 in 2015. He helped Reims to promotion in 2018 before making his move to Rennes later that year. Pefok stayed in France for two more years, but went on to join Young Boys in 2020. 

Internationally, he earned his first cap for the USMNT last year after opting for the American team over France. Pefok has managed one goal in nine overall appearances. 

“After two successful years in Bern, where I had the perfect environment to develop as a young player, I now have the next step in my career ahead of me,” Pefok was quoted as saying. “I want to prove myself in the Bundesliga and I’m convinced that I’ve found the right club in Union.”

Pefok also added that Union’s disciplined counterattacking style “suits me very well and I’m happy to go hunting for goals for the ‘Eisernen’ (The Iron Ones) in the unbelievable atmosphere.”