U.S. international Mix Diskerud has suggested in a poem on Instagram that an exit from New York City FC is imminent by revealing details of talks with the club.
NYCFC manager Patrick Vieira said in December that the club was looking to part ways with the 26-year-old, who has not played since July and was not included in the club's preseason camp.
Under MLS rules, NYCFC must confirm whether Diskerud will remain with the team by Tuesday's Roster Compliance Date, and in a poem published on Sunday, Diskerud wrote that "somebody" at the club had asked him to "leave the hemisphere."
A move to another MLS team would be hampered by Diskerud's enormous contract, which paid him $761,250 last season. Aside from designated players Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, no other NYCFC player made more than $300,000 in 2016.
The poem read as follows:
Somebody told me I'm not part of a plan
and if he was I - he'd run like the others ran
'cause the budget is tight
and binding contracts might
be broken, to improve 5-6 positions - in exchange for only one man.
He went on to say; "the message is clear -
unless you're clueless - 'cause you've lived it all'year
since the budget is tight
and binding contracts might
not need to be broken if.... you crack, kneel or leave the hemisphere"
Who could tell so straight and clearly
tales of destiny I fight sincerely
when mental games
are attempting aims
to make me rage severely?
On and on the conversation went
about money spent
and special rules
and mgt's tools
and something about allocation being different cent
I wish I had
right there - my pad
'cause then my favorite line
fused by Robin Williams spine
would play dead poets - real bad
Diskerud joined NYCFC from Rosenborg BK in the Norwegian top flight ahead of the club's inaugural 2015 season and played regularly under then-manager Jason Kreis.
However, the U.S. national team player was relegated to the bench and eventually lost his spot in the squad under Kreis' replacement Vieira as the team went on to finish in second place in the Eastern Conference before losing to Toronto FC in the MLS Cup playoffs.
"He is looking for playing time," Vieira said in December. "We are having a discussion with him and try to find the best way to satisfy Mix and ourselves."