Austin signs midfielder Driussi as 3rd designated player

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - First-year MLS team Austin FC has signed Argentinian midfielder Sebastián Driussi as its third designated player, the club announced Thursday.

Driussi, 25, has been with Zenit St. Petersburg since 2017 and exercised a buyout clause in his contract shortly after the club won the Russian Super Cup on July 17. He becomes Austin's third designated player, joining Cecilio Dominguez and fellow Argentine Tomas Pochettino.

Financial terms were not disclosed but Austin said Driussi is under a multi-year contract. He will join Austin immediately, but will not be available to play Saturday against Colorado because of league COVID-19 protocols for players entering the country.

Driussi will be expected to provide punch in an Austin attack that has struggled to score in its first season.

'œIt's clear we need attacking punch,'ť said Austin Sporting Director Claudio Reyna. 'œHe's a threat, individually, collectively with his teammates. He likes the responsibility of carrying the team's attack.'ť

Driussi debuted as a 17-year-old in 2013 with Argentina's River Plate and scored 31 goals in four seasons. At Zenit, he scored 25 goals in 119 appearances and helped Zenit win three consecutive domestic league titles from 2019-2021.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports