Football
Marc Stein, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Sources: New York City FC set to announce Mix Diskerud deal

New York City FC plans to formally announce the signing of U.S. international midfielder Mix Diskerud on Tuesday, according to Major League Soccer sources.

MLS sources confirmed to ESPN FC that a deal has been struck to import Diskerud as NYCFC's third big-name signing alongside Spanish striker David Villa and England midfield stalwart Frank Lampard, whose arrival at the club has been delayed until July.

The New York Times reported earlier on Monday that Diskerud is already in New York, with sources telling ESPN FC that the deal bringing the 24-year-old to MLS is poised to be made official.

Diskerud is out of contract after spending much of the past three years at Rosenborg in Norway.

He did not actually play at the World Cup in Brazil last summer but made the 23-man squad comfortably, emerging as one of manager Jurgen Klinsmann's favorites over the past year-plus and inheriting the No. 10 shirt when Klinsmann made the controversial decision to leave natonal-team fixture Landon Donovan home.

Diskerud has 25 caps for the U.S. national team after making the difficult decision to represent his American-born mother's country as opposed to his Norwegian father's.

Diskerud has flirted with a move to MLS before but has been widely anticipated to finally make the jump this winter after spending his entire professional career in Norway and Belgium.

It remains to be seen how much this signing will mollify NYCFC fans who are still angry with the club's (and the league's) handling of the Lampard situation. Last summer, NYCFC announced that Lampard would join the new MLS team as the season begins in March, but his success with Manchester City in the past few months led the Premier League champions to extend his time in England until June.

But the prospect of Diskerud and Lampard eventually linking together at the heart of manager Jason Kreis' midfield should give the expansion franchise plenty of quality down the middle behind Villa.

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