Austin FC has signed Sebastián Driussi as a designated player, the club announced on Thursday morning.
Driussi, a 25-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder, arrives after spending the past five seasons with Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Russian Premier League. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the Austin FC statement said that Driussi exercised a buyout clause in his contract with Zenit prior to joining the MLS expansion franchise.
Driussi will wear jersey number 25 for Austin.
A report from Transfermarkt placed the buyout around $7 million. Based on the statements from both clubs and reporting from South America, it is likely that Austin FC will pay that money, either as a reimbursement to Driussi or directly to Zenit.
.@Transfermarkt sources in Russia have told us that Driussi to #AustinFC is a done deal. #Zenit will receive $7m for the Argentine forward. As Chris reported, announcement very soon. Done Deal ™️! #Verde https://t.co/gZqL9k3oDE
— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) July 29, 2021
“We are thrilled to welcome Sebastián to Austin,” said Claudio Reyna, Austin FC sporting director. “Sebastián is poised to be an offensive difference maker in MLS. He has represented Argentina’s youth national teams, played in the UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores, and FIFA Club World Cup in addition to winning 14 trophies so far in his career. This is an impressive resume for any player, let alone at 25 years old. He is a world-class competitor, and we are excited to welcome him to Austin and our Club.”
Austin FC revealed that, with the summer signings of Driussi and forward Moussa Djitté, it has utilized all three DP slots and all three U-22 initiative spots in its first season. Driussi joins Cecilio Domínguez and Tomás Pochettino as the designated players, while Djitté, Žan Kolmanič and Rodney Redes were signed using the U-22 mechanism — also referred to as Young Money — that debuted this season.
Driussi has the capacity to play multiple positions, so referring to him as an attacking midfielder in the official club press release could be a clue as to how Reyna and Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff see him. At various points in his career, Driussi has played at left wing, center forward and as an attacking mid.
At Zenit, he scored 25 goals in 119 appearances and 102 starts, and helped the Russian giants win six trophies: three Russian Premier League titles (2019, 2020, 2021), a Russian Cup (2020) and two Russian Super Cups (2020-21 and 2021-22). He started eight matches in the UEFA Champions League.
“I am excited to join Austin FC and continue my career in Major League Soccer,” Driussi said. “I have followed the Club in this inaugural season, and I feel honored to represent Austin. The support for Austin FC is world-class, and it was a key factor in my decision to join Austin. I look forward to joining my teammates and coaching staff in making Austin proud and earning positive results.”
Driussi was born in the San Justo enclave of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and came up through the youth system of River Plate, one of the top clubs in the Western Hemisphere. He debuted for River as a 17-year-old in 2013, and made 110 appearances with 31 goals over four seasons before Zenit paid $16.5 million for him in summer 2017. Driussi played for Argentina at the U-17 and U-20 levels, but never graduated to the senior national team.
Per MLS protocols, Driussi will need to quarantine for five days before he is eligible to participate in matches, ruling him out of the match Saturday against the Colorado Rapids. Austin is still waiting on the arrival of Djitté from France after signing the 21-year-old from Senegal on June 30.
“Sebastián is a phenomenal and versatile player who will elevate our attack and make us more dangerous going forward,” commented Austin FC Head Coach, Josh Wolff. “We've had our eye on him for quite some time. We are confident that Sebastián’s international experience and pedigree will raise the level of our entire group and help us compete for a playoff spot this season.”