There were some crazy unaccompanied rumors about D.C. United's attempts to try and sign Italy (and AC Milan) midfielder Antonio Nocerino when we tried to put things together Thursday, so we figured we would try and put more things together in one place for you to look at.
So another meeting between Team Nocerino and United's Managing General Partner Jason Levien and General Manager Dave Kasper occurred on Friday and, while the teams were allegedly far apart on money, Spain's Getafe and MLS side Orlando City continued to express interest (and to reiterate, as of this past Tuesday, OCSC would have to bump Bryan Rochez or Carlos Vivas from a Designated Player spot to accommodate Nocerino).
Adding onto the MLS talk, this, attributed to Milan's Executive Director Adriano Galliani:
Milan executive director Galliani:"Our transfer market is over, the only possibility is that Nocerino will go to @MLS"
— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) January 29, 2025
Then, less than an hour later, this tweet from a Spanish reporter:
La oferta del Getafe atrae a Nocerino, ya que prefiere seguir en Europa. Sin embargo, la del DC United es muy superior económicamente.
— Cristian González (@Cristiangm11) January 29, 2025
The tl;dr version? DC's offer is better than Getafe's, though Nocerino prefers to stay in Europe.
And then last night, word that Nocerino has turned down D.C.'s offer and may be headed to OCSC, but Getafe are still in play. Then this morning:
In Milan, D.C. United remains in mix for Antonio Nocerino. Sides close on $. Questions about his athleticism in physically punishing MLS
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 30, 2025
Talk of Orlando in Nocerino chase, but D.C. United has first MLS discovery claim. DCU would have to step away or receive compensation
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 30, 2025
If D.C. United were to sign AC Milan's Antonio Nocerino, the deal would prob be worth low DP salary (less than $750K) guaranteed 2 yrs
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 30, 2025
At this point, Nocerino could be offered to Handsome Boys SC or Portman Kunis United and I wouldn't bat an eye. But the overall moral to this story should be always to remain zen, because anything that happens would be a pleasant surprise.
