LOS ANGELES – The Montreal Impact are scanning the MLS and international markets for possible new acquisitions this month. But perhaps more importantly, the club is dead-set on keeping one key name out of the “Outgoing” column in the run-up to the 2017 season.
IMFC have no plans to sell star playmaker Ignacio Piatti this winter, head coach Mauro Biello told reporters at the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Friday.
“Piatti is with us and as of right now, he's under contract and he's a member of the Montreal Impact. He's a very important player for us and a top player in this league,” said Biello. “This is where we stand.
“There's rumors all the time, obviously. When you have a player with that stature and that ability, you get a lot of interest for him. So it's normal, we get that a lot. It's not only now that we've gotten interest for him, we've been been getting interest all year for him. It's just the type of player he is.”
Recent reports have connected Piatti to a transfer back home to his native Argentina to join powerhouse Boca Juniors. But “Nacho” remains a crucial cog in Montreal's attack and Biello says he's content with his recent conversations with the Designated Player.
“Yeah, I spoke with Nacho and like I said, he belongs to us. In the end, these are rumors and there's always interest for players of his caliber,” said Biello. “We face calls all the time for this type of player, but he's under contract with us right now and we're expecting him in [preseason] camp.”
Fielding one of the league's oldest starting lineups, the Impact fell a hair's breadth short of reaching the 2016 MLS Cup in a wild Eastern Conference Championship clash with Toronto FC. The Quebec side remain confident in their veterans, but plan to mix in a few young newcomers like David Choinière and Homegrown Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla this season. And Biello did not rule out more signings from overseas.
“I think it's always important to have experience but at the same time, this year we have a few very good young players in Tabla, in Choinière – these are players that we feel have a big upside," he said. "We know that we have some older players. But in the end it's about transitioning the young to get minutes and maximizing the older players. ...You need to have a well-balanced team to have success.”
