Tranquillo Barnetta's exploits in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League
with Schalke rank him as one of the most impressive players
the Union have ever landed. (AP)

From the time Tranquillo Barnetta’s name surfaced as a serious transfer target of the Philadelphia Union, there was a debate that cropped up among the select group of Union media. If the Union could land the Swiss winger, as they officially did Wednesday, where exactly would he rank in the annals of Union history?

It’s a superficial way to appraise a player with all of three training sessions at PPL Park under his belt. But in a league where the Union constantly fight (often in vain) to carve out a niche of attention, the public relations splash of any move is a consideration, one that shouldn’t but often does outweigh the tactical implications.

With that in mind, let’s count down where Barnetta ranks among fellow Union acquisitions, in terms of his profile upon arriving at PPL Park and the accomplishments he’s compiled in his pre-Union career.

(Honorable mention goes to Maurice Edu, who’d finish sixth on this list. Old Firm Derby goals have a way of making you legendary in certain corners of the world, though one successful foreign stint does not a career make.)

5. Kleberson

Kleberson’s name was well known in the world of soccer, more for his international than club exploits. He was a fixture in Brazil’s run to the 2002 World Cup title, setting up the second of Ronaldo’s pair of goals in the final, then he made a surprising return to the squad in time for the 2010 run. He remains one of 10 World Cup winners to play in MLS. Less auspiciously, Kleberson is known as perhaps one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest transfer blunders for his poor stint with Manchester United starting in 2003. Though he stabilized his career in Turkey with Besiktas, the midfielder proved his success for club was largely dependent on being in Brazil, and even then, his production trailed off long before he was the makeweight for shipping Freddy Adu out of town in May 2013.

4. Carlos Ruiz
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(Associated Press)

Talking in circles this week, about a trade that was bound to happen but hadn't quite been completed, Peter Nowak said he's looking to three players to carry the leadership torch once toted by Danny Califf.

There's 26-year-old vice-captain Carlos Valdes, who's got the experience, the candor and the skill to lead the Union ... as evidenced by marking Cristiano Ronaldo last season in a friendly against Real Madrid.

There's 30-year-old Brian Carroll, an MLS Cup champion who's been a professional for 10 seasons. And there's 22-year-old Sheanon Williams.

“I think the team's going to move on," Califf told me Thursday, after he had been traded to Chivas USA, for Michael Lahoud and allocation money. "They'll find somebody else to step up and do that. I think team's find ways to do that."

Of course, Califf has his opinion. Here's mine: The Union can slap an armband on anyone and call him a captain. But to maximize the value of the trade, the Union must make the most of the midsummer international transfer window.

There's no way around the obvious, that the Union's personnel moves in the last five months have been an attempt to dump salary. The majority of the players they've brought in during that time have been either products of the SuperDraft or supplemental draft. Meanwhile, they've cut ties with high-salaried veterans -- six of their 14 six-figure guys, and four of the seven best-paid.

Consider:

Player	2011 Guaranteed Salary
Danny Califf	$250,000
Juan Diego Gonzalez	$193,462
Sebastien Le Toux	$179,000
Justin Mapp	$183,000
Stefani Miglioranzi	$153,125
Faryd Mondragon	$396,666

Attempting to progress as a franchise, the Union's technical staff and front office have put their faith in their youngest players. The next step is reassuring everyone that they know what they're doing with the state of the team. Bringing aboard a high-profile player, akin to last season's designated-player signing of Freddy Adu, follows that progression. It only seems right. The signing of a polarizing, guiding, authoritative, experienced player -- particularly one who can score goals, the weakness of the Union -- would do wonders for a team desperately seeking rebranding.

The season is not lost. The Union enter their weekend match at FC Dallas trailing Eastern Conference fifth-place side New England by five points. Seeing as the separation between postseason afterthought and contender is so thin, it's reasonable to believe that a few tweaks can turn around the Union's 2012 campaign.

Thus, the emphasis on the midseason international transfer window, which opens June 27 and closes July 27. If the Union fail to make a big splash inside those 30 days, trading fan favorites and creating a stink within their supportive fanbase will have been for naught.