It had been reported for several weeks that Antonio Nocerino was considering a move to Major League Soccer. D.C. United were said to be interested in the midfielder, and had filed a discovery claim on him back in January. The club had even sent an entourage to Italy to watch him train with his current team, AC Milan.
However, a deal could not be worked out between the player and the team, as they failed in their attempts to come to terms. As a result, Orlando City quickly stepped up to the plate in a bid to try and land the Italian.