Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo leaving Toronto FC for Inter Miami CF
TORONTO — Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo, a former league MVP, is on the transfer as Toronto FC continues its teardown and rebuild.
A supply, granted anonymity as a result of the deal had not been introduced, confirmed that the 30-year-old is headed to Inter Miami CF. The supply stated Toronto will obtain belongings in change — reportedly a modest quantity of allocation cash — however not a participant.
Pozuelo, who received MLS MVP honours in 2020, is out of contract with Toronto this summer time. At US$4.69 million this yr, he’s the fourth-highest paid participant in MLS, in accordance with numbers launched in April by the MLS Gamers Affiliation.
Pozuelo’s departure opens up a chosen participant spot for Toronto, with hypothesis that the MLS membership has Italian worldwide Federico Bernardeschi, a winger/attacking midfielder, in its sights.
The 28-year-old Bernardeschi spent the final 5 season with Juventus, successful three Serie A titles, two Italian Cups and two Italian Tremendous Cups. He’s out of contract with the storied Italian membership.
TFC already has two Italians ready within the wings, with Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Criscito eligible to make their debut come Thursday’s begin of the MLS secondary switch window. Toronto (5-10-3) hosts the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Toronto’s different two DPs are Mexican defender Carlos Salcedo and Insigne. Salcedo has been sidelined by a household matter of late, with ideas he could need to return to Mexico because of this.
Whereas Pozuelo has been Toronto’s most artistic participant, he struggled at occasions to search out his function underneath new coach Bob Bradley, who needed the Spaniard to take care of his defensive duties in addition to the assault.
However Pozuelo appeared to have been given a extra free-flowing offensive function in current video games, popping up everywhere in the pitch as Bradley regarded for a extra fluid assault. Pozuelo has 4 objectives in his final 5 video games in all competitions.
Pozuelo marked his a centesimal Toronto look in all competitions on Saturday in a 2-0 loss to visiting Seattle.
As soon as once more, Pozuelo was Toronto’s finest attacking risk. He led the staff with 117 touches, accomplished 91.8 per cent of his passes and was dealt with roughly by Sounders tacklers on quite a lot of events.
Toronto acquired Pozuelo in March 2019 from Belgium’s KRC Genk as a chosen participant. In 4 seasons with TFC, he has 26 objectives and 31 assists in league play.
At his finest, he was the straw that stirred the Toronto drink, with nice imaginative and prescient on the sector and the flexibility to unlock a defence together with his passing. The Spaniard may also end on his personal.
Pozuelo received MLS MVP honours in 2020, serving to Toronto to the second-best total file within the league throughout the pandemic-shortened season. Pozuelo tied for the MLS lead in assists with 10, whereas ending tied for eighth in objectives with 9 in 23 video games. He led the league in mixed objectives and assists (19), possibilities created (70) and game-winning objectives (5).
Pozuelo was the one Toronto participant to begin each match that season, rating ninth within the league in minutes performed (2,015 minutes), lacking simply 55 minutes of the common season.
Accidents restricted him to 19 appearances in 2021 with one purpose and 4 assists. Pozuelo, a father of three, additionally cited private points off the pitch for making final season a troublesome one.
Pozuelo, who has 4 objectives and 5 assists in 16 league outings this season, has stated he needed to stay to Toronto. Bradley. who doubles because the membership’s sporting director, has opted to not converse on Pozuelo’s contract standing.
Toronto, which completed second from final within the then 27-team league final season at 6-18-10, noticed 20 first-team gamers transfer on within the low season.
Bradley has used a whole lot of younger expertise within the first half of this season, with a combined bag of outcomes. There was good and dangerous on the sector, with the sense that he was ready for the summer time switch window to inject extra expertise and expertise.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first printed July 5, 2022.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
