Montreal Impact claim Dzemaili coup

Bologna midfielder Blerim Dzemaili will join Montreal Impact in MLS in June 2017, according to Impact president Joey Saputo.

The deal to take the 30-year-old Switzerland international to Canada was revealed in Montreal's end-of-season press conference, where Saputo was joined by club technical director Adam Braz.

Dzemaili has appeared in all but one of Bologna's Serie A fixtures so far this season, but the former Napoli and Parma player will leave Stadio Renato Dall'Ara after just one season at the club, Saputo has claimed.

"I'm not hiding it: Dzemaili's contract is a multi-year deal," said Saputo. "He'll be in Bologna until June 2017, and he will then be transferred to Montreal.

"He's not hiding that either. He's ready to come to Montreal".

Braz added: "Dzemaili's profile is very interesting for our team. We see him as a hybrid central midfielder between a no. 8 and a no. 10. He has the physical capacities to play box-to-box, and one of his main strengths is his ability to make late trailing runs in the box.

"He's an international player with a lot of experience playing at the highest level," he added. "He'll bring a lot to this group, not only on the field but also in the locker room with his experience".

Dzemaili joined Bologna from Galatasaray in August, having spent time on loan at Genoa last season.