TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Transfer
Sporting Kansas City homegrown midfielder Gianluca Busio has officially been transferred to Serie A side Venezia FC, the club announced Thursday, confirming the 19-year-old's move to the Italian top flight days after helping the US men's national team to the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup title.
The terms of the transfer weren't included in the announcement from Sporting KC, but they did reveal that the number is a "club-record deal."
Busio has long been considered one of the most talented prospects in the United States, coming up through Sporting KC's youth academy and first breaking in with their senior team in 2018. Since then, the North Carolina native put up eight goals and nine assists in 70 appearances across all competitions.
Busio had started all 13 of his appearances for Sporting KC this season, scoring two goals and dishing out three assists in 1,152 minutes.
“Gianluca has embodied all of the core values we look for in a player,” Sporting KC head coach and sporting director Peter Vermes said in a release. “He has consistently put the team first while demonstrating tremendous professionalism and an unwavering commitment to improving his game and helping the club win. Gianluca is a special talent with outstanding character, and we wish him nothing but the best at Venezia.”
Busio will join another American in the midfield for Venezia, who also acquired FC Dallas homegrown Tanner Tessmann last month. USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie (Juventus) and another FC Dallas homegrown, Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma), are the two other Americans in Italy's top flight.
"This is a very proud moment for me and my family,” Busio said. “I’d like to thank everyone who has made it possible, especially all the people at Sporting KC who have helped me become the player and person I am today. Sporting will always have a special place in my heart and I’m grateful to have started my career at such an amazing club. The people, the fans, the city — everything about Kansas City was perfect and it will always feel like home. This is the next step in my career and I’m really excited to join Venezia.”
Busio departs a Sporting KC side that has emerged as a Western Conference frontrunner, taking over the top spot on the West table following their 4-1 thrashing of LAFC at Banc of California Stadium on Wednesday. Sporting announced the signing of ex-AC Milan midfielder Jose Mauri earlier on Thursday, perhaps as a replacement following Busio's departure.
