He may be small in stature, but Italian national teamer Sebastian Giovinco is getting set to make a huge move to MLS.
Toronto announced on Monday that it has signed the 5-foot-5 attacking midfielder/forward to a Designated Player contract, with the 27-year-old joining TFC from defending Italian champions Juventus once the summer transfer opens in July. Per league and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“I am excited to sign with Toronto FC today and look forward to joining the club this summer,” Giovinco said in a club statement. “I have heard so many great things about Toronto over the years and I know that it will be a city that I feel right at home in. Until then, I have many things I still want to accomplish for Juventus and our fans. I will always give my heart and soul for Juve until I change shirts this summer.”
The Giovinco announcement comes just three days after the club acquired US national team striker Jozy Altidorefrom English Premier League club Sunderland in exchange for former Reds DPJermain Defoe.
With Giovinco, Altidore, Michael Bradley and Gilberto in the fold, TFC now has four DPs on its roster. That’s one more than is currently allowed by the league, which is in the process of negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players’ Union. According to the current CBA, Toronto would have to ensure the club has three DPs on its roster prior to their season opener at Vancouver on March 7.
“Today marks a very special day for Toronto FC with the addition of Sebastian Giovinco. Seba is in the prime of his career and he has chosen to join Toronto FC and MLS at a time when many of the top clubs in the world were pursuing him,” Toronto FC GM Tim Bezbatchenko said in the team statement. “We are very pleased to bring a fantastic player to Toronto FC for our club and for our fans, especially those in the Italian community.”
Known as La Formica Atomica (The Atomic Ant), the diminutive Giovinco has 40 goals during his Serie A career. The longtime Juventus man’s best season came in 2011-12, when he recorded 15 goals and 11 assists while on loan at Parma.
"Adding a player like Sebastian Giovinco will be a major addition to our club," Bradley said in the club statement. "Having played against him many times in Italy, I know what he is capable of. We have added a great playmaker and true talent and I cannot wait for him to join us."
He hasn’t been so prolific this year, falling down the depth chart in Turin and failing to register a goal in in six league appearances – though he did have a brace in his single Coppa Italia run-out.
Toronto’s signing of Giovinco was first reported on Saturday by John Molinaro of Sportsnet.ca and Gareth Wheeler of TSN, with several othersources confirming his report shortly thereafter.
Giovinco, who was linked last month to Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, has 21 career appearances for the Italian national team, playing for the Azzurri in their runner-up finish at Euro 2012 and at the 2013 Confederations Cup.
