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MLS: Giuseppe Rossi becomes a free agent after Celta Vigo declines player option

By Jordan Jacobsen

FLORENCE, ITALY - DECEMBER 10: Giuseppe Rossi and Khouma Babacar of ACF Fiorentina gestures during the UEFA Europa League match between ACF Fiorentina and Os Belenenses on December 10, 2015 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
FLORENCE, ITALY - DECEMBER 10: Giuseppe Rossi and Khouma Babacar of ACF Fiorentina gestures during the UEFA Europa League match between ACF Fiorentina and Os Belenenses on December 10, 2015 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) /
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Giuseppe Rossi is on the move again after Celta Vigo declines his player option following the 2017 season and another major knee injury.

TURIN, ITALY – AUGUST 20: Mario Lemina (L) of Juventus FC in action against Giuseppe Rossi of ACF Fiorentina during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and ACF Fiorentina at Juventus Arena on August 20, 2016 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY – AUGUST 20: Mario Lemina (L) of Juventus FC in action against Giuseppe Rossi of ACF Fiorentina during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and ACF Fiorentina at Juventus Arena on August 20, 2016 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) /

American soccer’s prodigal son is on the move again. The Italian-American striker had his option declined by La Liga side, Celta Vigo, after spending the 2017 season on loan from Fiorentina. The once highly touted goal scorer is currently recovering from his fourth major knee injury, which likely played a large part in Celta Vigo’s decision. Rossi has shown bright promise with several different clubs over the last few years but has been unable to stay on the field due to his injuries.

The New Jersey native will now be on the move again, and is now the time to head back to the United States? Rossi told Faro de Vigo that he still intends to play in Europe, but he is often mentioned in rumors involving moves to Major League Soccer. Especially with the New York Red Bulls, and occasionally being linked to the New York Cosmos of the NASL.

Rossi went down last April and his recovery was expected to take six months. Any professional team would be leery of adding someone with an injury history like Rossi’s, but at only 30-years-old there could still be plenty left in the tank for the proven goalscorer. And goalscorers can be hard to come by. Just ask the Red Bulls who are only ahead of Colorado and DC United in goals scored as we’ve reached the halfway point of the MLS season.

A move stateside for Rossi could also involve a healthy dose of vitriol. Rossi is often remembered for choosing to play for Italy, the country of his heritage, instead of his birth country as his career began to take off. The striker would likely have led the world soccer powerhouse if it weren’t for his injuries, and an argument could be made that he would still be in the running for a starting job with the USMNT even with his bad knees.

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For now, Rossi will have to weigh his options as he recovers. A move back to the US could give his career a jumpstart, as we’ve so often seen with players coming to MLS. The MLS calendar could allow him the chance to recover for a longer period, as he would have until January to fully rehab. Rossi has said he would like to return stateside to play in MLS before his career is over, but as MLS rosters trend toward younger talent, his options could be limited in the future.

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