After Marco Di Vaio (Montreal) and Alessandro Nesta (New York) here’s another well known former member of the Italian national team is making the jump to MLS.
It’s no secret that 37-year-old striker and Juventus top goal scorer Alessandro Del Piero had expressed a desire for months to conclude his playing days in the United States.
SoccerPlus has learned from sources close to negotiations that MLS and Del Piero have come to an agreement on the principle that the Italian will join the Los Angeles Galaxy this summer.
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The financial aspects of this addition to the defending champions will be an interesting puzzle since the Galaxy is already is close to the salary cap and counts three DPs - Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Robbie Keane - among their ranks.
The Montreal Impact did inquire about Del Piero’s interest to join their opening season adventure almost a year ago, but the prohibitive financial request made a deal near to impossible to reach. Plus the Italian has stated to have prioritized New York and LA for his North American arrival.
Del Piero scored 208 goals in 513 games with the Old Lady since 1993, won six Serie A titles and a UEFA Champions League final. On the international scene, he scored 27 goals in 91 games on a 14-year span with Italy, winning the 2006 World Cup in Germany.