High Expectations for Diego Rossi in 2024

The Crew acquired their newest Designated Player, Diego Rossi, from
Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe S.K. for an undisclosed transfer
fee in the middle of the 2023 MLS season. The youngest player in MLS
history to earn the league’s Golden Boot (2020) and a major
contributor to LAFC’s 2019 Supporters Shield squad, joined the Crew
with high expectations.

The Crew’s transfer of club legend Lucas Zelarayan days before
making the announcement in a move that angered fans is a story that
will be told for years to come. However, the arrival of Diego Rossi
has given the fans a reason to be excited again. Rossi’s success in
his short time with the Crew is a testament to his skill and ability
to adapt to new environments. He scored 3 goals and provided 3
assists in 10 regular season appearances for the Crew and added an
additional 2 goals and 3 assists in the playoffs.

Rossi’s season stats in his last stint in MLS are impressive -
in 104 regular season matches the Uruguayan tallied 48 goals. Prior
to joining the Crew Rossi competed at Fenerbahce scoring 10 goals in
34 appearances.

Now, with a full off season with the team, the expectations are even
higher for Rossi in 2024. Paired with Wilfred Nancy, a manager with a
proven track record of getting the most out of his players (see the
resurgence of Alex Matan), Rossi will be viewed as a key cog in the
attack both scoring and assisting.

Diego Rossi’s arrival in Columbus has already lived up to the
hype. His clutch performances and success in the half season he
played last year speak to his quality as a player. The question now
is, can he lead the Crew to back-to-back championships? Only time
will tell.