All signs point to top American prospect joining Fiorentina soon

Ask anyone with knowledge of American soccer prospects and they'll tell you that Joshua Perez is going to Fiorentina when he turns 18. It's a dirty little secret that everyone knows, but no one will announce officially in any capacity. The latest sign that this signing will happen may be the most official confirmation we get until his name pops up on team sheet.

U.S. Soccer released a 36-player roster for an upcoming under-20 camp that Perez was named to. Under the names of the players, they usually list the club a player belongs to and under his name is clearly listed Fiorentina.

Signings like these are a dime-a-dozen in Europe. It's possible that this move will never be officially announced by the club as to not draw attention to every youth signing they make. As per FIFA rules, a player without a European passport must wait until they are 18 to officially sign with a club residing on the continent.

Perez has been linked with Fiorentina since 2013 and has trained with them sporadically for the last several years. All signs point to him officially joining the Serie A stalwarts as soon as he turns 18 years old some time in 2016.

One of the more promising talents on the most recent United States under-17 team to go three-and-out at the World Cup, Perez is one of the top talents to keep an eye on in the near future. He's a diminutive attacker with a big heart that plays primarily as a winger. His explosive left foot is best utilized as an inverted winger.

Playing with the Fiorentina youth teams should do wonders for his development. Tab Ramos and the U-20 team should reap the benefits of his progress in this next World Cup cycle.