Sporting Kansas City made Gianluca Busio the second-youngest player in MLS history on Friday, when they signed the 15-year-old forward as a Homegrown Player.
SKC announced that Busio’s MLS contract runs through 2020 with club options for 2021 and 2022.
At 15 years and 89 days, Busio is the youngest player in SKC history and the second-youngest player to sign an MLS contract behind Freddy Adu, who was drafted by D.C. United as a 14-year-old in 2004.
"Gianluca is a very talented player who has the opportunity to progress along our professional pathway from the academy to the first team," Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said in a statement released by the club. "He fits our style of play, has great vision on the field and can score goals from several different positions. As Gianluca continues to develop, the structure of our club will allow him to take steps toward his objective of playing at the top level for Sporting KC in the future."
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Busio joined the SKC academy last fall when he moved to the Kansas City area. He starred for SKC’s U-16s in the 2016-17 Developmental Academy season, scoring nine goals and earning Central Conference Best XI honors. He also earned time with the club’s U-18 side and helped Sporting to the Championship Division of the 2017 Generation adidas Cup U-17 tournament.
A member of the United States Under-15 national team, Busio guided the US to a second-place finish at the CONCACAF U-15 Championship in Bradenton, Florida, scoring a team-high five goals in five matches. He previously represented the US U-15s in May at the Torneo Delle Nazioni in Italy, where he scored three goals as the Americans were crowned tournament champions.
Busio holds an Italian passport through his father, which would’ve expedited the process of potentially signing for a European club had he chosen to pursue that path.
He’s the fifth Homegrown signing in SKC history.
"This is a dream come true, and I could not be more grateful," Busio said. "Since I was a kid, I always dreamed of being a professional soccer player, so I want to thank Peter Vermes and the Sporting Kansas City organization for giving me this opportunity. From the day I arrived in Kansas City, they have made me feel like part of the family."
