New England in talks to sign Senegalese M Desire

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By Kyle McCarthy, Special to SI.com, Goal.com

The New England Revolution are locked in advanced negotiations to sign Senegalese midfielder Niouky Desire, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Revolution coach Steve Nicol spotted Desire, a 23-year-old central midfielder, during a recent scouting trip to the West African nation and recommended him as a potential signing.

With New England looking to bolster its options in the middle of the park after Steve Ralston signed with AC St. Louis last week, Nicol and the Revolution technical staff moved quickly to try to secure Desire's signature ahead of the upcoming MLS campaign.

Desire featured for Port Autonome, a Dakar-based club affiliated with the Port Authority in the Senegalese capital, for the past four seasons. Port finished seventh in the nine-team group B during the Ligue 1 campaign that ended in October.

Prior to his stint with Port Autonome, Desire played for ASC Diaraf, another Senegalese club located in Dakar.