Sporting Kansas City have received more offers from Serie A clubs for midfielder Gianluca Busio, sources confirm to MLSsoccer.com. ESPN's Taylor Twellman first reported the news.
A source adds a Dutch club has held talks for Busio as well, while the expectation is there will be more bids to come this summer. SKC have the player under team control through the 2022 season with a club option.
MLSsoccer.com previously reported in April that SKC rejected bids from Italian clubs over the winter. The likes of Fiorentina, Sassuolo and Parma have shown interest in Busio in the past as well as one of the top clubs in the Netherlands.
Busio, who turned 19 in May, is enjoying perhaps his best spell as a pro, starting all eight SKC games this year. He has two goals and an assist while showing great versatility, starting as a false nine, attacking midfield and as a No. 6 just this year.
He has long been the subject of European interest after breaking through with SKC in 2018 at age 16 and has excelled at various US youth national teams. He represented his country at the 2019 U-17 World Cup, wearing the captain's armband in one match and playing every minute of the United States' involvement. Busio has made 56 appearances for SKC in MLS, growing in importance to Peter Vermes' side every year. He became the youngest player in MLS history to score and assist in the same Audi MLS Cup Playoff match last season.
Busio has an Italian passport, meaning he wouldn't have to worry about work permit rules or occupy an international spot in most leagues. That is particularly useful in Italy, where clubs are restricted to the number of non-EU players they can sign and register to their squad every year.
