Nashville reinforced its attacking ranks last week with the signing of Tunisian international Elias Saad on loan, adding a veteran presence to the wings with proven pedigree across one of Europe’s most competitive leagues. The acquisition marked the first of the summer transfer window for the league-leading Boys in Gold, adding depth to an attacking lineup already among MLS’s best.
Let’s look at Saad’s playstyle, career trajectory and what fans can expect when he eventually takes the pitch.
Swapping Germany for GEODIS Park
Saad enjoyed a fruitful career at the top of the German soccer pyramid before making the switch Music City. A native of Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest city, the 26-year-old came up through the youth system at Buxtehuder SV before working his way up to FC St. Pauli, then in the second tier, in December 2022. Saad scored his first goal for the team in April 2023 in a derby against Hamburger SV and grabbed his first start the week after that.
Saad spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Hamburg-based club as a regular contributor, playing 30 league games in 2023-24 as the team achieved promotion to the top division for the first time since 2010-11. St. Pauli finished 14th in its first season back in the German top tier as Saad logged five goal contributions in 18 games. Saad made the switch to Bundesliga mainstay FC Augsburg in the summer of 2025, where he will return after his loan in Tennessee ends.
In addition to his solid club career, Saad has become a regular contributor to the Tunisian national team, for whom he is eligible through his family despite being born in Germany. Since his debut in 2024, he has made 17 appearances for the Eagles of Carthage and scored four goals, helping his team become the first to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup without conceding. Come this summer’s tournament, Saad was a mainstay of his team’s attacking setup, starting two of Tunisia’s three group-stage matches.
A new type of winger
Saad occupies a different profile to Nashville’s other wingers, one which should open more possibilities for an attack already among the league’s deepest.
One key difference is Saad’s physical traits. Standing at 6-foot-1, he’s taller than any other winger on Nashville’s roster, and across the whole midfield and forward line, only Sam Surridge is taller. He’s able to use his size to help his team gain control of matches, which bears out in the statistics. Across 10 Bundesliga matches in 2025, Saad sat in the 96th, 78.8th and 79.8th percentiles, respectively, in duels won, aerial duels won and percentage of aerial duels won per 90 among other wingers.
That said, Saad is not a bruiser. He is an exceptionally talented dribbler with the ability to beat his man one-on-one and open space for teammates. Some of his skill with the ball at his feet may be attributed to his time as futsal (indoor soccer) player as a teenager, when he was a member of the German national team. Futsal is played with a smaller, heavier ball on smaller courts, requiring impeccable close-control and a keen eye for space.
The statistics, again, illustrate this well. While on loan at Hannover 96 in the 2. Bundesliga this spring, Saad was in the 94.9th percentile of assists and expected assists per 90, the 100th percentile of touches in the opposition’s box per 90 and 100th percentile of successful dribbles per 90. That comes in addition to stellar playmaking statistics. Saad was one of the league’s better passers, sitting in the 87th percentile or higher in pass success rate, long ball success rate and crossing success rate per 90.
Saad’s raw offensive output isn’t as high as many of his attacking teammates in Nashville. But the explosiveness he can offer out wide should cause many a headache for opponents already strained from defending the likes of Surridge, Hany Mukhtar and Cristian Espinoza. That, combined with solid defensive numbers and an eagerness to press, should make him a natural fit into Nashville’s system.
The Newest Boy in Gold
Saad comes to Music City as one of the more established names in recent memory. German leagues are renowned for their ability to develop talent and technical ability and ingrain a deep understanding of tactics in players, two things Saad has exhibited in spades for club and country.
Follow Elias on Instagram at @elias.saad99.
All percentile stats from FotMob.
