North Texas SC has finally announced the signing of FC Dallas Academy product and the player who topped our most recent Academy signing list Daniel Baran.
If you are in our discord you will have known he was signed for some time and I laid out some logic to prove that was the case in my preview of the FCD U18s for 2024-25.
The contract is announced as being through the end of the MLS Next Pro season – that’s two games plus playoffs – without having a mention of next season. That’s either seriously risky on Baran’s part to give up college soccer for a couple of games of pay (he was already playing as an amateur) or there’s more to come and this could be a hybrid deal. Previous incidents of announced deals for one season at North Texas FC with no options have tended to be hybrid deals. So we’ll assume the hybrid deal.
The 18-year-old Baran made his NTX debut on April 6 versus The Town FC since playing in 14 games tacking up 508 minutes with 1 assist.
“Daniel is a really talented player with a ton of potential and a fantastic attitude,” said North Texas SC general manager Matt Denny. “We are excited to have him in our environment and look forward to playing a significant role in his development and future success.”
Baran, a Chicago native, is US and Poland eligible. He’s been in a couple of Polish youth national team camps.
3rd Degree’s Take
A terrific get, Baran was atop our academy signing list for a reason. A dynamic and direct winger with some verticality and plenty of ball skill. He’s also got a great motor and internal drive, plus a will to win. He relishes going at defenders. Baran along with Dylan Lacy were the MVPs for FCD at the Dallas Cup this last spring as they ran to the Super Group final.
For our money, he was the last 2006 we were interested in. Being a class of 2025 kid from high school he could have played another year in the Academy but after the breakthrough with North Texas, this is the right step for him.
TRANSACTION DETAILS
Full Name: Daniel Baran
Pronunciation: bare-en
Connect with Baran: Instagram
Position: Forward
Date of Birth: September 16, 2006 (18)
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Nationality: American and Polish
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 175 lbs.
Last Club: FC Dallas Academy
Transaction: North Texas SC signs forward Daniel Baran through the end of the 2024 season.
