FC Cincinnati sign Siem de Jong from Ajax on free transfer

FC Cincinnati boosted their midfield with the addition of Siem de Jong on Thursday.

The Orange and Blue confirmed the Dutch midfielder's arrival from Ajax on a free transfer less than two weeks before they kick off their second season in Major League Soccer.

"For me, when FC Cincinnati presented their plan of how the club is growing and how they want to build the team here in the upcoming years, I felt this would be a good experience for me," the former Newcastle United midfielder said. "Hopefully, I can help the club and the players to build something special here."

The club has yet to decide whether the 31-year-old will be signed as a Designated Player or if his contract will be bought down using allocation money.

Cincinnati already added its third Designated Player earlier in February with the signing of Jurgen Locadia on loan from Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. The club's other two DPs include Japanese forward Yuya Kubo and Costa Rican midfielder Allan Cruz.

De Jong joins an FC Cincinnati side that will be eager to improve on its paltry 24-point haul in 2019, good for dead last in the league. The club is in the midst of an "international search" for a new head coach after Ron Jans resigned amid an investigation into the use of a racial slur. Yoann Damet, 29, will serve as interim boss.

Cincinnati opens the season on the road against the New York Red Bulls on March 1.