Exclusive interview
Hany Mukhtar has been one of the best players in Major League Soccer this season. The 26-year-old Nashville SC playmaker scored 16 goals and 12 assists (MLS counts assists differently than TM); the 26-year-old is a candidate for the MVP title in MLS. In an exclusive interview with Transfermarkt, Mukhtar chats about his market value, his unusual career path, his expectations for the MLS Cup Playoffs, and his future with Nashville SC.
Mukhtar laughs when he is asked about his comment on Instagram regarding his market value. On Instagram, the player described his new market value as questionable. “It was all with a smiley, of course,” the Nashville SC star said to Transfermarkt. “Players always see it a bit differently, but you guys do a great job.”
The native of Berlin, Germany saw his market value increase from $6.6 million to $7.15 million in the recent MLS market value update. “Just $550,000? I think it could have been a bit more after this season.” It has been noted, and Mukhtar certainly would have deserved a bigger increase. But the midfielder will have a chance to increase his value in the upcoming MLS Cup.
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Mukhtar: “I learned a lot” playing for Nashville SC in MLS
Playing in MLS, Mukhtar has undoubtedly made a big step in his development. Although a classic playmaker, head coach Gary Smith often fields Mukhtar as a secondary striker or false-9. “I learned a lot here, especially in terms of athleticism; they handle that a bit different here,” Mukhtar said.
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With Mukhtar in top form, Nashville SC finished the regular season third in the Eastern Conference and host Orlando City in the first round of the MLS Cup. “We are playing at home, and we have never lost at home this season,” Mukhtar said. “But it is comparable with a Cup game in Germany, it is one game, and a lot can happen in one game. We have to believe in ourselves, and I am very optimistic.”
The single-elimination format of the MLS Cup guarantees excitement and means that, unlike the big European leagues, the championship remains competitive. Last year, for example, Philadelphia Union played a fantastic regular season but were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
Mukhtar: Playoffs is “when it is matters” – “Playoffs are the best system”
Mukhtar thinks a moment when he is asked whether playoffs could be a solution for leagues like the Bundesliga, where one club has become the dominant force. “They look at it a bit different in Europe,” Mukhtar said. “In Europe, they want to see who is the strongest team over 34 games. I understand it, but I think the MLS system is super because it is more interesting. We played a great season, but the playoffs as a single-elimination competition gives the league a push; that’s when it matters.”
“In Europe, they want to see who is the strongest team over 34 games. I understand it, but I think the MLS system is super because it is more interesting. We played a great season, but the playoffs as a single-elimination competition gives the league a push; that’s when it matters.”
“Look at last season; we finished seventh and then beat Toronto in the first round,” Mukhtar said. “At the end of the day, they want it to be competitive here in America, and for that, the playoffs are the best system.”
Nashville SC have reached the playoffs two seasons in a row. The club was launched ahead of the 2020 season and entered the league together with David Beckham‘s Inter Miami CF. Ahead of the 2020 season, Beckham’s club received most of the attention, but unlike Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC established itself as a top club in the league.
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Mukhtar: Inter Miami “got all the attention” – “We have a good mix”
“It’s hilarious in retrospect,” Mukhtar said. “Everyone talked about Miami because we started at the same time. They got all the attention while we flew under the radar. But most teams have now recognized that we do good work. We have a good mix of younger and older players, and that is our secret.”
The 26-year-old was the first Designated Player of the club and the second signing overall when he joined Nashville for around $3 million from Brøndby IF in 2020. But at the time, it was Inter Miami’s South Americans that captured the media’s attention. But while Inter Miami’s transfers flopped, Mukhtar became one of the league’s best players, scoring 21 goals and 13 assists in 49 games for the club, increasing his market value from $2.42 million to $7.15 million.
Hany Mukhtar has been in fantastic form for Nashville SC this season
Nowadays, Mukhtar is an established star in the league and an MVP candidate. But the 26-year-old reveals that it was a bit surreal to join the club in 2020. “When they approached me, they didn’t play in MLS and only had one player,” Mukhtar said.
“It was difficult because everything they tell you at that point is sort of a fantasy; it doesn’t exist yet,” Mukhtar added. “In Europe, you can look at a club and see how they have played in the past and whether you fit in. But the talks were excellent, and they promised to build a team around me. That’s when I decided to make that step.”
Mukhtar: “I watch the Bundesliga all the time” – “There is definitely interest”
One of the players Mukhtar spoke to was his former Red Bull Salzburg teammate Yordy Reyna, who at the time played for the Vancouver Whitecaps and now plays for D.C. United. “It was a big step,” Mukhtar said. “So, it was important to speak to people that knew the league already.”
Salzburg was Mukhtar’s second club in what has been an interesting career path for the now 26-year-old. A Hertha Berlin product, Mukhtar joined Benfica in 2015. “It was a transfer not many understood at the time, but they were the biggest club in the world by membership, and I had to take on that opportunity,” Mukhtar said.
Then came Salzburg, Brøndby in Denmark, and now Nashville. A colorful career. But Mukhtar is only 26 and, as one of the league’s best players, still has an eye on Europe. “There is definitely interest,” Mukhtar said. “I watch the Bundesliga all the time. I could imagine going back to the Bundesliga. I am fit and at a top age.”
There is always the dream of a Bundesliga return but for now Mukhtar is under contract until 2022 and the club has an option for an additional year. With his performances in mind, and an increased interest abroad Nashville will have to act eventually. For now, Nashville remains his first point of contact. “I like it here and the league is often underestimated,” Mukhtar said.
The midfielder pointed out that he has been long enough in the business to know that things can change quickly. “I am glad and grateful that my transition to the MLS has been smooth,” Mukhtar said. “Naturally, Nashville will always be my first point of contact. I have no problem to commit my long-term future to the club if I get a perfect offer for a contract renewal.”
