Mikael Uhre’s parting gift to the Philadelphia Union came on a phone call with Japhet Sery Larsen. Uhre’s contract was up at the end of 2025, and it was clear to everyone months before that the Danish striker wasn’t in the Union’s plans, whatever press-conference gloss the front office appli ed. But in an offseason retool at the other end of the field, one of the candidates to fill in at center back found his way through the footballer’s phone tree to Uhre. That was Larsen, the Danish defender for SK Brann, who the Union had in their transfer sights. Larsen tapped the Danish expat network, talking to San Diego’s MVP finalist Andres Dreyer and Brazilian Evander, who spent four years with Midtjylland before being signed by Portland and who is now in Cincinnati. But he also rang Uhre. “He was really happy about his time here,” Larsen said Thursday via Zoom from the team’s training camp in Marbella, Spain. “He had some great moments here, I think. But mostly we talked about, how’s life outside of the club. “I had some good talks with the sporting directors and the coaches about what it was like being in the club, but the hard part is finding out what life is like around the training ground and stuff like that. So Mikael was really helpful there. Obviously we talked about the club as well. But he had only good things to say about the club.” Consider it a bequest from Uhre to help the Union sort out a defense that, at a distance of 27 days to their CONCACAF Champions Cup opener boasts as many questions as answers among the four positions. That picture got no clearer with news that the Union are loaning Homegrown center back Neil Pierre to Danish partner club Lyngby for the first half of 2026, removing another option to fill minutes. First the knowns, which include Larsen. The 25-year-old native of Copenhagen has a similar profile as Jakob Glesnes upon his arrival from Norway in 2020, in terms of age, captaincy experience and familiarity with European competition. Larsen was delayed in his integration to the team last week when it trained in Chester, still awaiting finalization of transfer paperwork. But he’s fully integrated in Marbella. He started Tuesday’s friendly against Czech club Sigma Olomouc next to Olwethu Makhanya and looks to be in line to lead the defense in the opener in Trinidad and Tobago on Feb. 18. Larsen, who goes by Jeff, was drawn by the clear playing style and principles that the Union espoused in the courtship process. He feels it’s also easing his acclimation. “Definitely the playing style and the way they view football,” he said. “I think the coaching staff has a really clear idea of how they want to do things, which I believe suits me quite well. So, it had a big impact for me in my decision.” It’s a good thing, because who will be enacting those principles at the back remains a quandary. The Union decided to cash in on Glesnes and Kai Wagner after All-Star seasons, leaving a gaping void that the club supposes its talent identification and development network will fill. Pierre was thought to be one of the next Homegrowns up, but that will wait until at least June. Coach Bradley Carnell described the step as an intermediate between MLS Next Pro, where he thrived last year, and the MLS end point. “We always want to be in control of who we’re sending out and for what timeframe, and that will help us get through to the midpoint in our season and through the World Cup break,” Carnell said. “But just to progress along Neil’s development, we felt that he had reached a point at the Next Pro level now where playing against different-looking opponents, maybe foreign opponents, this is a real push with our cooperation with Lyngby in terms of the development factor. So closing the gap between Next Pro, MLS and there’s a mid-station there with Lyngby. Also going out of your comfort zone is a big one.” The Union on Tuesday went with Nate Hariel and Finn Sundstrom as its second center back unit against Sigma, with Frankie Westfield (a right back) and Ben Bender (a midfielder) as left backs. Either Westfield or Harriel would be the starter at right back if they weren’t needed elsewhere. Sundstrom, 19, played last year in USL with North Carolina FC. Carnell has repeatedly touted him as an “all-rounder” this winter, which also reads as not good enough to specialize in any one position. “We know we have a couple all-rounders on the back line with Nate,” Carnell said. “Nate can play in at right back, left back, center back. Finn’s come in now as well and has had a really good showing. And like we’ve spoken about all through the offseason, we are looking to have double depth at each position. So you can go across the board here, and there’s still a couple of spots to fill, and we’re monitoring this every single day.” Singings are needed, whatever the organizational spin. The Union have since the fall been linked with Colombian center back Geiner Martinez. Carrnell has reiterated that the club won’t jump blindly at a left back just to fill the spot, but the drop off from Wagner to any current replacement is a massive chasm. It only magnifies the stability that someone like Larsen can bring. “I think the club had a really good plan for me, and they know me quite well as a player, which was really appealing,” he said. “Obviously, being a captain, I know some more experienced players have left the club now during this winter. So there’s an open spot for taking responsibility and leadership, and I think we have that within the group, but obviously I want to contribute to that as well and help as best as possible.” ...read more read less