DENVER -- Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio is delighted that a flurry of young Mexican players have signed for European clubs in recent weeks.
Santos Laguna announced that 19-year-old winger Uriel Antuna is joining the City Football Group -- where is he reportedly set to be loaned to Girona in La Liga -- on Wednesday, while 23-year-old Antonio Briseno has signed for Portuguese club Feirense.
In other transfer news, young Santos striker Joao Maleck has moved to Porto B and Mexico international Hirving Lozano will be playing for PSV Eindhoven next season.
Osorio has consistently stressed since he took over El Tri in October 2015 that he would like to see more Mexican players in Europe.
"They are very young, very hungry for success and hopefully they will go there, get enough experience and then can bring it back to the national team," said Osorio in a news conference on Wednesday.
"That can only strengthen the depth of the squad and hopefully we'll continue growing as a national team."
The Colombian manager added that it is "very good for Mexican football that European clubs are looking at the possibility of signing new [Mexican] players."
The case of Antuna was particularly pleasing for Osorio, with the Mexico manager revealing that he had planned to invite the winger to join up with the full national team to train with the Confederations Cup squad in Russia.
"It is very rewarding in Antuna's case because from the Under-20 [World Cup] in Korea we wanted to bring three players: Alejandro Mayorga, Edson [Alvarez] and [Uriel] Antuna," said Osorio.
The manager announced there would be changes for Thursday's second Gold Cup Group C match against Jamaica in Denver -- for which upwards of 40,000 tickets have been sold -- and confirmed that both Jair Pereira and Alejandro Mayorga are out of the game with injuries.