TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
D.C. United have acquired central midfielder Gabriel Pirani on loan from Brazilian Serie A powerhouse side Santos, the club announced Thursday.
The 21-year-old arrives on loan through December 2023 with a purchase option. He has amassed eight goals and five assists in 111 professional appearances across time with Santos, Fluminense and Cuiabá in his native Brazil.
"Gabi is a bright young talent that will excite our fans with his technical ability and vertical play," Dave Kasper, D.C. United's president of soccer operations, said in a release. "His vision and playmaking ability in the final third will complement our current group and give us an extra attacking dimension."
Pirani helps fill a hole that arose when the Black-and-Red’s loan for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien expired in mid-July. D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney expressed wanting to keep O’Brien, but he’s returned to his English Premier League parent club.
In the US capital city, Pirani joins a midfield group that includes Mateusz Klich, Chris Durkin and Russell Canouse as first-choice options.
D.C. United, after finishing last in the overall MLS table in 2022, are right in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs mix this season. At the Leagues Cup break, they occupy the Eastern Conference’s ninth and final postseason spot.
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