Austin FC reached a multi-year agreement on Tuesday with its top offensive weapon, Sebastián Driussi, according to a team-issued press release.
Per Verde, it secured the services of the 27-year-old midfielder by inking him to three years through the end of the 2025 season, with an option for the 2026 campaign.
“Austin has a new legend,” the club proclaimed in a tweet. “Sebastián Driussi is here to stay.”
Austin CBS affiliate KEYE reported that Driussi, who arrived in the state capital by way of Russian Premier League giants Zenit St. Petersburg in 2021, led Austin FC and was second in all of Major League Soccer (MLS) in scoring in 2022 with 22 goals.
The Argentinian star figured prominently in the second-year franchise’s first-ever foray into the MLS Playoffs, which included an appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
“Sebastián is one of the most gifted and talented players in Major League Soccer,” Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff said in the release. “He’s a top-quality player and leader in our locker room. This contract extension is well-deserved, and we’re thrilled that he’s decided to make Austin his home for the foreseeable future.”
According to Verde, Driussi is “delighted” with his new contract.
“This club and community have made Austin feel like home for my family and me,” he said. “I have big ambitions here both personally and for the team, and I’m excited to work with my teammates, Josh and the staff to achieve them.”
For his overall career with Austin FC, Driussi logged 54 appearances on the pitch, as well as scored 30 goals and dished 12 assists.
KEYE reported that while the amount the team and Driussi agreed to is undisclosed, the move is the latest development since the resignation of Claudio Reyna, who was the club’s sporting director.
Reyna, who is at the center of an alleged blackmail scheme against U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT) head coach Gregg Berhalter, has taken a technical advisory role with Verde in which he advises Wolff and other personnel on matters of the game, Austin Journal reported citing Austin NBC affiliate KXAN.