‘They really want me’ - Why Tai Baribo left the Philadelphia Union to become D.C. United’s main man

It has been a strange offseason in Philadelphia. The Union are well-known dealmakers, eager to develop and sell on talent. They have shown few qualms about moving on from homegrown players for impressive fees. Baribo, when they signed the Israeli forward in 2023, was something of a puzzling acquisition. They paid around $1.5 million for the forward and handed him a contract until 2025, with an option for 2026. Baribo had scored goals in the Austrian Bundesliga, but figured to have little resale value. If the Union planned to be a selling club, then Baribo broke the model.

"Tai has proven himself to be an incredibly dangerous and productive striker. We are continuously looking to add to the quality of our roster, and having one of the top scorers in the Austrian league join us will help build on the success of this team," Sporting Director Ernst Tanner said after his signing. 

The 2025 season effectively served as a contract year for Baribo, and he played accordingly. His level of quality far outpaced his reported $810,000 salary, as he finished among MLS’s top goalscorers and emerged as the league’s most effective No. 9 for much of the year. A late-year slump dulled the numbers, but not the quality.

Baribo, in return, wanted a raise - or, at least, a salary that reflected his performance. 

And Philadelphia wouldn't pay it. 

He had a few options for his next club. In truth, Baribo admitted, if the Union had offered the deal he expected, then he might have stayed. But once it became clear the money wasn't there, then he started to look around. He was, in fact, in one of those rare positions where he knew that he was going to be moved. 

"It's not that I didn't know what's going on. I had a difficult situation in Philly. They didn't want, or they couldn't pay me. I don't know what's going on there," Baribo said. 

So, he hit the open market. Of course, it would have to be a cash-for-player trade - the kind that has become increasingly common around MLS since the league officially introduced the concept last year. But, in effect, Baribo had to choose his club, and trust that the Union would do the rest. 

And D.C. stood out. The four-time MLS Cup champions are in the midst of a rebuild, with new Chief Soccer Officer Dr. Erkut Sogut and head coach René Weiler now in place. Results have fallen short of the lofty expectations that come with United’s pedigree in recent seasons, but the club made it clear to Baribo that he would be the first of many signings as the rebuild begins.

"First of all, they told me that I'm the guy that they want to sign first and then to see how to build the team," he said.

To show it, they offered a hefty investment. D.C. United made Baribo a designated player, reportedly doubled his salary, and gave him a guaranteed contract through the 2029 season. They also paid the Union $4 million. 

But of course, Baribo insisted that they had to hold up their end of a bargain. 

"[The contract] is a good start," he said with a smile. 

He remained skeptical - even of his new employers. Sure, he had taken the paycheck and trusted that the team would do their bit. They still had to actually open their checkbook consistently.

"They told me they wanted to succeed and spend money. A lot of teams do that," he said.

And then D.C. started spending. Baribo was their central acquisition, but they spent elsewhere. Louis Munteanu was brought in from Romanian side CFR Cluj for a club record $7 million. That deal, if incentives are hit, could reach up to $10 million. He is an intriguing fit around Baribo, capable of playing off either wing as well as a second striker of sorts. Piece it together right, and they could be a formidable duo.

They're not the only ones. Keisuke Kurokawa has arrived from the Japanese league and fills an obvious hole at left back. Caden Clark will offer punch from midfield areas. Sean Nealis has experience in central defense, and they spent the top pick in the MLS SuperDraft on a center back in Nikola Markovic. 

"They started to build a new team. So it's exciting," Baribo said. 

It isn't lost on Baribo that he has now inherited a significant amount of pressure. He has the inenviable job of replacing Christian Benteke, who won the 2024 MLS Golden Boot and finished his D.C. career with just shy of 100 goals. The club was reportedly in negotiations to sign the Belgian to a new deal, but was unable to agree on terms, and lost him to the UAE Pro League. 

Baribo isn't phased by that responsibility.

"Pressure? It's a privilege. Soccer is my life. But if you win, nobody will live, and if you will lose, nobody will die. So it's pressure, it's good pressure. I appreciate the pressure. But you know, everything is in perspective," Baribo said.

The root of that perspective is personal. Baribo was born in Israel, and his mother died when he was 11 years old - experiences that shaped how he views pressure and perspective.

“I grew up in a country where there is a lot of war, a lot of death. Everybody I met in Israel knows someone who has died, or lost his kid,” Baribo said.

Against that backdrop, the stakes of soccer feel different.

“You can win a game, you can lose, but at the end, the most important thing in life is to be healthy, and your family is healthy,” he said.

But there remains soccer to play, and a team to revive. D.C. were the worst team in MLS last season, finished with just 26 points, and won just five games all year. Still, Baribo knows what it's like to play for a side that many have bet against. His Union team last year were picked by many to be among the worst teams in the league. They ended up winning the Eastern Conference. 

"In Philly, when we started the season, and everybody ranking us 27th or 28th place, you're under pressure, and you have to deliver," Baribo said.

He is hoping for a similar sort of revival in Washington this year. Baribo has gone about his preseason preparations as he normally would. The striker has a goals target - that he won't share. But the word from Weiler is that he wants the team to be on the front foot. Baribo is their main man, and the messaging to him is that he will have plenty of goalscoring chances. 

"He told me that he really wants to play offensive, to press high, to play aggressively. This is my game. It looks like it's gonna fit...and I will do anything that I can to make it fit," he said. 

Of course, Baribo also knows that it will be a process. D.C. may have spent big, and there may be plenty of new faces in. For the first time in a while here, there is true hope. But the rest of MLS is always improving. D.C. are trying to play catch-up. That isn't always conducive to immediate results. 

"It's a long process. You want to build a new team, so you have to be patient if you want to achieve something in the next year. You don't want one good season, and that's it. You need a couple of good seasons," Baribo said. 

It will be tricky. But Baribo wants to be there. D.C., in return, have put their faith in him. This thing might just work.