FC Cincinnati’s business this offseason is reportedly not close to being finished.

The Eastern Conference side is lining up a move for PSV midfielder Gaston Pereiro, sources have told SBI. Pereiro, 24, is being linked with a Designated Player contract for FC Cincy, which would be the club’s second major signing this offseason, after the recent addition of Japanese forward Yuya Kubo.

An attacking midfielder, Pereiro has made 116 combined appearances for the Eredivisie giants since joining in 2015. He’s scored 43 goals in that time for PSV, helping them to two league titles and two Johan Cruyff Shields.

Pereiro has made 10 appearances for the Uruguay National Team, scoring four goals.

FC Cincinnati struggled in 2019, finishing bottom of the MLS table.

Gonzalez Pirez leaves Atlanta United for Xolos

Leandro Gonzalez Pirez is on his way to Liga MX.

After being linked with a move away from Atlanta United, the Argentinian center back has officially move to Club Tijuana on Friday. Gonzalez Pirez twice finished in the top five voting for MLS Defender of the Year, in his three seasons with the Five Stripes.

“We appreciate what Leandro has contributed to the club over the last three years and we wish him the best of luck in his future,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said.

Gonzalez Pirez joined Atlanta United from Club Estudiantes de La Plata back in Jan. 2017. He made a total of 95 league appearances, that included three goals and six assists. In 2019, Gonzalez Pirez made 42 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and adding one assist.

Atlanta didn’t waste time finding a replacement, signing Fernando Meza from Liga MX side Necaxa with the use of Targeted Allocation Money. Meza will occupy an international roster slot on the Five Stripes roster.

A veteran with 12 years of professional experience, Meza made 19 appearances in all competitions for the Mexican side in 2019. He’s also played for Colo-Colo, San Lorenzo, Palestino, and San Marcos.

“Fernando is an athletic, ball-playing center back who immediately strengthens our defense,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “He brings more than a decade of top-flight experience in Argentina, Chile and Mexico and will be a veteran presence for our backline.”

Meza has registered six professional goals in his career and will look to jump right into Frank de Boer’s starting lineup in 2020.

Union re-acquire midfielder Monteiro on permanent deal

Jamiro Monteiro has re-joined the Philadelphia Union on a permanent deal from FC Metz.

The Union acquired Monteiro from Metz for $2 million on Friday, signing him to a three-year Designated Player contract. There is also a a club option for a fourth year. Monteiro, 26, spent the 2019 Major League Soccer season on loan from Metz, scoring four goals and registering nine assists in 26 appearances.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement for Jamiro to return to our club” Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner said. “When he joined the club last season, his impact on-field was immediate. He’s aggressive defensively and very strong in transition which fits in perfectly with the style of play we’ve implemented. We look forward to welcoming him back.”

Monteiro will headline a Union midfield also with the likes of veteran Alejandro Bedoya, Homegrown talent Brenden Aaronson and new signing Jose Martinez.

Jim Curtin’s side opens the 2020 season at FC Dallas on Feb. 29th, before visiting LAFC on March 8th. The club’s home opener is March 14th against the San Jose Earthquakes at Talen Energy Stadium.

Earthquakes GM Fioranelli signs multi-year contract

The San Jose Earthquakes announced numerous staffing moves on Friday ahead of the 2020 MLS season.

General manager Jesse Fioranelli signed a new multi-year contract with the club. A former executive with Serie A sides Lazio and Roma, Fioranelli has served in his role since January 2017. He was responsible for the hiring of current head coach Matias Almeyda.

“I’m really excited to continue being part of this storied club,” Fioranelli said. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a hard-working staff that truly cares about the organization from the first team down to the academy. With Matias as a great partner on the technical side, we want to continue to build off the growth we saw in 2019, not just with the first team but across the entire technical side of the club all the way through the youth.”

“Over these past three years, we have learned a lot about ourselves, the kind of club culture we want to cultivate and the standard we expect from ourselves. Together, we want to serve our fans and our community in a way that makes them proud about the club we all love.”

In addition, the Quakes saw Tom Fox step down from his role as president of the club. Fox’s duties have been divided among several club executives on the business side of the organization, including Chief Operating Officer Jared Shawlee, Executive Vice President Jed Mettee and Vice President of Strategy Ian Anderson. With Fox’s departure, both Fioranelli and Shawlee will report directly to the Earthquakes Board.

Technical director Chris Leitch, head scout Bruno Costa, and director of methodology Alex Covelo all signed new multi-year contracts with the Quakes. Leitch, an Earthquakes defender from 2009-11, has served in a variety of capacities since 2012. In addition to providing support for the first team, Leitch executed the construction of a USL Championship affiliation with Reno 1868 FC from the ground up.

Overseeing the club’s scouting efforts at the first team, USL-affiliate, collegiate and youth levels since April 2017, Costa has helped San Jose greatly enhance its player-pool network. Meanwhile, Covelo has held a variety of roles with the first team and academy, including two stints as assistant coach.

The Quakes missed out on the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, despite a huge bounce back year from a struggling 2018 campaign.

Report: Union’s Burke being monitored by Austrian Bundesliga side

Philadelphia Union forward Cory Burke missed plenty of the 2019 MLS season and is now reportedly being monitored from abroad.

Sky Sports Austria has linked Burke with Austrian Bundesliga side SKN St. Polten. The Jamaican forward could sign a loan deal until the end of the European season, which concludes in May.

Burke, who came through the Union’s USL affiliate Bethlehem Steel, has not played for the club since April 2019. He missed numerous months of the MLS season due to visa issues and remained in Jamaica for the rest of the calendar year.

In September, Burke joined Jamaican club Portmore United FC on loan for the remainder of the 2019 season. He totaled 11 goals in 20 appearances for the club.

The 26-year-old has made 16 appearances for the Reggae Boyz, scoring six goals.

SKC re-acquires defender Dia

Amadou Dia is returning to Sporting KC for the 2020 season.

The club announced the deal on Friday, which sees the 26-year-old left back return to Peter Vermes’ side. He signed a one-year deal with the club, with SKC holding player options for two additional seasons.

Dia began his professional career with SKC after being the 20th overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft out of Clemson University. He went on to make 37 appearances for the club in all competitions, which saw Dia lift a U.S. Open Cup title.

He’s spent the the last three seasons with USL Championship contender Phoenix Rising FC, where he was named the team’s Defender of the Year in both 2018 and 2019.

“Not many people are blessed with the opportunity to get a second chance at one of the top clubs in the country like I am getting,” Dia said. “We have some unfinished business to take care of and I’m excited to get going again.”

SKC struggled in 2019 with injuries plaguing the team for most of the season.