Austin FC adds 'promising' 20-year-old midfielder Nicolas Dubersarsky
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC continued a busy offseason with another acquisition Thursday, completing a transfer for Argentine central midfielder Nicolas Dubersarsky to a 5-year contract with a club option for a sixth year.
Dubersarsky, 20, joins Verde and Black as a U22 Initiative player from Instituto Atletico Central Cordoba in Argentina's Primera Division. Major League Soccer's U22 Initiative aims to help bring high-level young international and domestic players to the league for minimal salary cap hits to clubs. International players are eligible for U22 Initiative distinction on their first MLS contract.
Dubersarsky made his first-team debut as a professional last season for Instituto, starting in 21 matches and appearing in 23. He helped lead the team to its best finish in Argentina's top-tier league since 1987, finishing 13th out of 28 teams in the second phase of the season.
He was a star for the club's reserve team as an 18-year-old, appearing in 41 matches before making his debut with the senior team in November 2023.
"We believe that Nicolás is a promising defensive midfielder who has a lot of tools to develop into an excellent player," Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell said. “Yet as he showed this past season in the first division in Argentina, he has ability beyond his years and can contribute immediately to our squad."
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Austin FC has made plenty of big moves this offseason and they're expected to make more. Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport and CBS Sports Golazo reports that Verde and Black will also acquire Albanian international Myrto Uzuni from Spanish side Granada CF for a club-record transfer fee of $12.3 million. Bogert said the deal hasn't been finalized but is in its final stages.
Austin FC brought in forward Brandon Vasquez, a United States men's national team member, for a then-club record transfer of $10 million from CF Monterrey in LigaMX. There are multiple reports that captain Sebastian Driussi will leave Austin FC for his former club in Argentina, River Plate, for a $10 million transfer fee. Driussi is Austin FC's all-time scoring leader with 51 goals and finished second in the 2022 MLS MVP voting.
Austin FC starts the 2025 regular season Feb. 22 at home against Sporting Kansas City.