HARTFORD, Conn. – Hartford Athletic announced on Wednesday the club had signed forward Hadji Barry, adding the former USL Championship Player of the Year and Golden Boot winner to the club as it vies for a place in the postseason. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

“We are all very happy to welcome Hadji to Hartford.” said Athletic General Manager and Head Coach Brendan Burke. “I have nothing but fond memories of our time together in Colorado. We are getting a top professional, a proven goal scorer, unselfish attacking player and a good leader all in one with this move. Our staff and players are all excited to get Hadji on the field in the coming weeks and months and our fans should be just as excited.”

The Conakry, Guinea brings extensive experience in the USL Championship to his new club, having netted 79 goals over 151 appearances in the USL Championship regular season to sit sixth in the league for Best Strike Rates with 157.7 minutes per goal among players with at least 50 regular season goals.

Barry has also recorded 24 regular season assists in the league, making him one of a select group of players to have recorded more than 100 goal contributions in his career. His move to Hartford reunites him with Burke, who brought Barry on board at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in 2021, where he had a standout season. Over 33 appearances, Barry scored 25 goals to win the Golden Boot, equaling what was at the time the single-season scoring record in the USL Championship regular season.

He also added five assists and 49 chances created to earn Player of the Year and USL Championship All-League First Team honors. Barry led the Switchbacks to their first postseason appearance since 2016, finishing third in the Western Conference.

The 2022 season saw another solid year from Barry, with 16 goals, nine assists, and 54 chances created in 30 appearances. As a captain, he led the team to nine wins in their first 10 regular-season games. Shortly before the end of the 2022 season, Barry was transferred to Future FC, an Egyptian Premier League club, for what was at the time the largest transfer fee in the league's history.