Andrea Pirlo set to join Frank Lampard and David Villa at NYCFC
Italian star and Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo looks set to sign for New York City FC, according to sources close to ESPNFC. According to the report, NYCFC will be announcing the signing of the Italian sometime this week.
The 2006 World Cup Winner has only one year remaining on his contract at Juventus, and has confirmed his decision to leave the Turin based club after four years of service. He won four consecutive league titles, and was also part of the team that lost 1-3 to Barcelona in the recent Champions League final.
Speaking on Thursday, MLS commissioner Don Garber was hesitant to confirm any pending deals when asked about Pirlo.
"I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about a player that I don't know will be here. Clearly [Pirlo's] a world-class player who just played in the Champions League final. He's a legend. I'm not gonna worry about rating him or talking about him until he makes a decision and New York City makes a decision as to whether or not he's gonna be here." he said.
The 36 year-old will sign an 18 month contract with NYCFC, and will be the club’s third Designated Player, joining former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard in midfield and Spanish striker David Villa. He begins training on July 21st, and will be eligible to make his official MLS debut on July 26, when NYCFC host fellow expansion side Orlando City.
Pirlo was in attendance along with Lampard to watch New York City take on their rivals New York Redbulls, although that didn’t stop the club from crashing to a 1-3 defeat at the Yankee Stadium.
Frank Lampard, @Pirlo_official and @GarethBale11 are here! #NYCvNY kicks off in just a few minutes! pic.twitter.com/4Qcs82Xg5m
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2015