‘I can’t wait to get started:’ Julian Carranza joins EFL Championship side Leicester City
Photo Credit: Leicester City
Former Philadelphia Union striker Julian Carranza has joined second-tier English club Leicester City on loan for the 2025-26 season, with an option to buy. Carranza departs Feyenoord after one season in the Dutch Eredivisie.
“I’m really happy and really excited to be here,” said Julian Carranza in his first Leicester City interview. “I’m thankful for this opportunity so I cannot wait to get started.
“When the opportunity came up, of course I didn’t have any single doubt about it. We all know what Leicester City is as a team, and as an institution as well, so when the opportunity came, I was really excited for it.”
The 25-year-old made the move to Europe last summer when he left the Union to sign for Feyenoord in June. Carranza featured in 30 matches for the Dutch side, scoring five goals and collecting one assist. The Argentine saw increased playing time with Feyenoord following injuries to strikers Ayase Ueda and Santiago Gimenez, and when the latter moved to AC Milan last January.
Carranza’s most impactful moment for Feyenoord came in the UEFA Champions League Round of 32. With Feyenoord and AC Milan tied on aggregate late in the second half of the second leg, Carranza headed home the goal that knocked the Italian giants out of the Champions League and sent Feyenoord to the Round of 16. This was the 25-year-old’s first and only Champions League goal to date.
It was tough sledding for the Argentine following his heroics in Milan. Carranza scored once in his final 11 games with Feyenoord, missed multiple weeks with an injury, and fell out of favor with new manager Robin van Persie. Carranza featured in two friendlies for Feyenoord this summer before being left out of the squad for his final five competitive matches at the club.
Carranza now makes the move to the EFL Championship with Leicester. The 2015-16 Premier League Champions returned to the Championship after struggling in England’s top flight last season. However, Leicester were Premier League staples, spending nine straight seasons in the top flight before being relegated following the 2022-23 season.
“I’ve been watching Leicester for a long time so, as I said, I know the team, I know the institution as well,” said Carranza. “We all know around the world what this team is.
“I have some experience in different places. Of course, this is a new experience as well. Everyone wants to play in England. Every single player wants to play here, so I’m really excited and can’t wait to get started.”
Through four Championship games this season, Leicester are in fourth place with nine points. Carranza will become the third out-and-out striker at the club, along with Jordan Ayew and Patson Daka. Ayew and Daka have combined for zero goals and a 0.83 expected goals in those four matches. Carranza, a bruising and aggressive player who isn’t afraid to use his body, should fit in well with a league known for its immense physicality.
Before making the jump to Europe, Carranza spent parts of three seasons with the Union. Carranza initially joined on loan from Inter Miami for the 2022 season, where he scored 15 goals, including one in the playoffs, and recorded seven assists in 35 games. The Union would make Carranza’s loan permanent in the summer of 2022. Carranza tallied 18 goals and six assists in 45 games the following season. In 2024, Carranza’s final season with the club, the 25-year-old scored 10 goals in 15 games before leaving for Feyenoord in the summer transfer window.
“Julian has accomplished a great amount in his time with the Union,” said Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner, after Carranza’s move to Feyenoord. “We initially brought him in after seeing his potential to fit our aggressive style of play and were pleased at how quickly he developed and adapted. He has been an integral part of our success, and we are grateful for all he has contributed both on and off the field, but this is the right move for the player as he continues his development.”
In 74 appearances (67 starts) for the club, Carranza scored 43 goals and registered 13 assists across all competitions. Carranza is the third-highest goal scorer (43) in Union history and has the fifth-most regular-season goals (34) for the club. Carranza was an Eastern Conference Champion with the Union in 2022.
*Article also seen on Philadelphiasoccernow.com
