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Andrea Pirlo linked with summer move to NYCFC

AndreaPirloJuventus1-RealMadrid2015UCL (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final may be the final match Andrea Pirlo plays in a Juventus uniform.

According to a report from Spanish publication AS, the 36-year-old Italian midfield maestro has accepted an offer from New York City FC. The report states that Manchester City and NYCFC CEO Ferran Soriano turned to signing Pirlo after Barcelona midfielder Xavi turned down an offer last summer. Xavi has signed signed a deal with Qatari side Al-Sadd.

If Pirlo did sign with NYCFC, he would likely become the team’s third Designated Player, behind Frank Lampard and David Villa. Lampard will be eligible to begin playing on July 8 while Villa has scored three goals with two assists in ten games this season. Pirlo would not be eligible to play until July 8 if he signed.

There has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks that Pirlo could depart Juventus after this season, leading to multiple reports that Juve are set to sign German World Cup winner Sami Khedira from Real Madrid this summer. Pirlo scored four Serie A goals in 20 league matches, and he’s scored once in nine games in the Champions League.

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What do you think of this report? Would you like to see NYCFC sign Pirlo? Should they go after a centerback instead?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. NYRB have a solid team, good foundation, but ur right…..SK is not a very sexy/glamorous signing. I also agree with them taking a step back and really being careful about who they bring in. They spent piles of $$$ on Henry, Marquez, Cahill, only to win Supporters Shield. Henry is one of greatest players ever, and he could only do so much. Be patient my friend

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  2. It sucks being a Red Bulls fan. A team that puts no effort in making their team better. At least we have Sasha Kleshton. What a terrific signing that was.

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  3. Pirlo was flirting with DC United last year. I wish that would have happened…. in any case it will be fun to watch him work.

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  4. Have to love El Paso/injury time – if I had an MLS team, I’d sign Messi, Ronaldo and Pogba but for non-DP salaries. Then I’d buy the Fire and rename them Chicago Global City like El Paso suggested. I can’t see a problem with this plan.

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    • Lol I love El Paso/injury time/MLS_soccer_talker/whatever-other-alter-alias that dude uses. Dead giveaway to his posts is some reference to Ronaldinho, usually followed closely by some profound rebranding advice for the Red Bulls/LAFC/Chicago and then a rant about how a series of teams need to upgrade their stadia. Keep up the good work, and keep the names coming!!

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  5. Injury time must be insane…..Pirlo will be a DP, probably salary similar to Villa and Lampard ($3-4 million to finish this season; $6-7 million for next season) and Lampard IS coming.

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  6. Pirlo doesn’t run as much, he walks around and power walks just like ronaldinho does now.
    Of course pirlo might have a better attitude and better health but if ronaldinho gets he’s head straight, then I see no difference and ronaldinho is younger.
    If they get ronaldinho or pirlo,they shouldn’t be dps, it’s New York, give them a free condo and a big bonus and go get tevez.

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    • And I think DC United should sign Pirlo, Drogba, and Messi for non-DP salaries, but unlike you, I’m not insane and understand that it won’t actually happen.
      Pirlo is clearly a DP. Stop day dreaming.

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    • “Pirlo doesn’t run as much, he walks around and power walks…”
      Perfect DP for playing at Yankee stadium. The signing makes even more sense now that I think about it.

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    • Older players are far more injury prone…how many games to you think Pirlo and Lampard will really play together?
      Even if they do, Pirlo certainly isn’t a 90 minute player any more, so Mix will still see some action.

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  7. If he’s not a DP perfect, but what if Lampard never comes and he’s plan B. I have also heard ronaldinho is/was on NYC plans, I saw ronaldinho play in ligaMX and he wasn’t that bad, the problem is that he loves big cities and he wasn’t giving star respect but he did give Around 65%.
    I they can get get ronaldinho or pirlo to a non dp contract and still get drogba or some other big forward, then they definitely can produce goals.

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    • OK, first, Pirlo will be a DP.
      Second, the only way any team will take a chance on Ronaldinho is if he’s willing to take a very small salary. No one want to pay for an out of shape player who only plays hard when he wants to.
      So Drogba will have to go somewhere else.

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    • Afraid you are going to have to let you Ronaldinho to MLS dreams go El Paso. Think that ship has sailed. One reason it has perhaps, is he is a complete baboso… it’s kind of like the sad plight of an aged, former dime/ bomb-shell…. the hijinx and baggage that were easy to overlook when he was all-world suddenly become intolerable.

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  8. Yeah, he’s older than most players, but he can place a free kick and thread a pass as well as any other active player on the planet. Great acquisition, probably a 2 year deal.

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    • 100% agree. Speed never his game anyway, he’s aged quite nicely, and he’s an all-time great. Cannot wait to see him play up close and personal, in our league!! Go see him while he’s here people if you can

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      • LoL
        Yeah….
        All I know is I would buy a ticket to watch the man play live in a second and of course…. flip the remote. He is an all time magician you don’t want to take your eyes off with the ball at his feet. Washed up? Not yet- he is current as it gets top flight- key part on UEFA CL Finals team. Should older players be brought in at the cost of development. No but it’s not an either/or proposition. One can compliment the other. Is he a long term solution? No, but a pretty damn viable way to help bridge the gap on the field and at the box-office util one is available.
        Awfully hard to turn down Pirlo.

  9. Pirlo is a legend but NYCFC and MLS teams in general should focus on younger DPs. How long is a 36 year old going to play? If he comes this summer, is it another 18 months maybe? Villa is the type of signing they should emulate – a guy who’s in his early 30s with several more years left. That’s what Henry did – came over at 32 and played for four and a half years. Even though he had declined somewhat by the end he was still one of the best players in the league. Or, even better, get someone even younger. Giovinco shows that it’s at least possible.

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    • Who cares how long a 36 year old player can play. NYCFC has the money to replace these guys once their contract is over. This isnt Ronaldinho, this is Pirlo.

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      • Who cares? Isn’t it better to try and build a team with DPs who can be around for the long haul? Sure seems that way to me.

      • We arent Real Salt Lake. Players can be replaced & NYCFC has the money to do it. Around the world, this is how soccer teams operate.

      • You got that right. SLC wins championships.

        NYC is in last place, by a lot, in a parity league.

        And by “around the world” you mean? In the US, there are many teams ahead of NYC operating much smarter than them so far.

      • Championship* (2009)

        Sure, pick on the new guys. After all, RSL was sick their first three seasons (note – they weren’t).

      • NYFC is an expansion team, which has alot to do with them being in last place. However they will be spending money this summer to improve the team. When it comes to RSL “winning championships”,RSL has only one championship & you can thank Kreis for that.

    • Definitely agree, but I’m not sold he’s going to be a DP. It makes sense he would be, obviously, but maybe they do what they did with Diskerud and just offer a huge signing bonus to him with a more cap friendly contract.

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  10. This kind of signing would be stupid for an established team that plans on truly competing for silverware, But an expansion club often has to sign “celebrities” to sell tickets.

    I was under the impression that NYC was doing well with sales. Unless they’re starting to see empty seats, this is a stupid signing. Defense is their problem on the pitch

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  11. For goodness sake, why doesn’t some MLS team see if Methuselah is available while we are at it. Im tired of geezers. More Giavincos and less fossils please.

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    • geezer? I think you mean legend. The MLS should not try and some kind of great league like the BPL. Since I live in New York I much rather have these legends like Pirlo, Lampard, Henry, and Steven Gerrard so i can say i was able to see these guys play. Don’t be as ignorant to say that the Andrea Pirlo is a “geezer”

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    • NASL better then MLS? lol What world are you living in? The NASL is as relevant to the north american soccer/football landscape, much less the world football landscape, as my co-ed rec team here in Tampa, which is to say IRRELEVANT. NASL Hahahhahahahhaahah Puhleez.

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    • Better then MLS? The NASL went 0 & 7 against USL, in the Open. Overall USL is 10-3 against NASL teams. Maybe the NASL should focus on being the best second division they can, because USL is only going to get better.

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    • LOL. .. Nobody likes to play in MLS. No soccer star likes MLS… they just come cuz its good pay before retiring…

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      • So why has Raul and Senna and who else, am I missing anyone, if you want to even call them soccer stars at their age, and what they can produce on a pitch against quality opponents which the NASL does not have, why have they come? It wasn’t about money because the NASL is not even worth mentioning when it comes to player salaries in totality.

        And your ignorant mind, should be asking, why can MLS afford to pay guys like Bradley, Giovinco, Dempsey, Martins, Villa, Lampard, Gerrard etc etc etc all that money? Surely a league that sucks and has no clout, and no fanfare, or relevancy, they wouldn’t be able to do this, would they?

        Truth of the matter is, the current NASL is about finished, or close to being finished once traffic sports is done. Even if they manage to breath air for a few more years, it doesn’t matter. They are even at risk of being labeled a division 3 league because of the lack of west coast teams which USSF demands they have in order to be considered a 2nd division league. I can assure if/when the NASL folds, no one and I mean NO ONE would give a crap. The best that league can do is for them to be a true minor league to MLS which they had a chance to do, but because of their over inflating ego and opinions of themselves, they failed to do that, and now are on the bring of total irrelevancy, which isn’t far from there were all along.

        Whenever someone says NASL on this board or even their games get covered by SBI and some other soccer media websites, I just laugh and ask myself, who really gives a crap? I can honestly say, I have never EVER EVER met an NASL in real life. The league is a joke.

      • Lol. Let me make it fast & easy kid…
        Raul & Senna loves to play in the Cosmos!! Raul wanted to come to New York!!
        Look at Henry! Everytime he played… he look like he just wanted to collect the money and go back home…

      • Their fans? lol no, like I said I have never EVER met a real life NASL fan. And the trolling fans online, I never respond to until today. With that said, I just dislike pompous, egomaniac, people that have a very over-inflated image of themselves and that is clearly what the NASL is made up of from Bill Patterson and on down.

      • Lol MLS fans are bunch of “DIVAS”!! Including Starks!! Lol. MLS fans think that they are some Super European wanna be League!! Lol

    • Here is the gig.

      Pirlo is leaving Italy why? Because he played at the Old Lady and didn’t want to take a step down to teams that cannot win. He can still get paid in Europe. He can get paid in MLS.

      So he is going to NASL? That is a joke. It is a much, much lesser version of why he is leaving….unleeeeesssss, he goes to the Cosmos. Yeah, lets go with that. Sweet.

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      • Lol… don’t cry baby 🙁 … Here… he can go to Miami FC!! Lol..
        Does it make you feel better?? Haha

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