U.S. international midfielder Kenny Saief is in the process of finalizing his loan to FC Cincinnati from Belgian side Anderlecht, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.
One source indicated that Saief is traveling to Cincinnati and that general terms on the loan have been agreed to. All that's left to complete the deal is agreement on a few minor details, as well as Saief passing a physical.
Belgian outlet HLN was first to report that Saief was close to joining FCC, following last week's report from Goal.com linking the midfielder with a move to MLS.
Saief, 25, is a crafty playmaker who has spent extensive time out on the wing. But he has seen his playing time dwindle with Anderlecht this season. While he has made a total of 17 league and cup appearances -- the same for all of 2017-18 -- he has logged just 605 minutes compared to 1404 the previous season.
Injuries have dogged Saief as well. He sustained a groin injury while on international duty with the U.S. in 2017, and a subsequent hernia operation resulted in an infection that saw him miss the opening months of the 2017-18 season. He has made a total of 34 league and cup appearances for Anderlecht, scoring one goal. Prior to moving to the Purple and White, Saief spent four seasons with KAA Gent, scoring 15 goals in 113 league and cup appearances.
A dual national with both Israeli and U.S. citizenship, Saief represented Israel at youth level before filing a one-time switch in 2017 to represent the U.S. He has made four appearances for the Americans, the last of which came in a 3-0 defeat against England last November.
