FRISCO, Texas – FC Dallas are wasting no time using some of their new-found riches from the sale of Brek Shea to bolster a seriously thin stable of forwards. On Friday, a tweet from the official FC Dallas feed indicated that the club is close to acquiring Swiss forward Eric Hassli from Toronto FC.
While the deal is still awaiting confirmation, head coach Schellas Hyndman addressed the upcoming move after Saturday’s win against the University of Memphis.
“We’re hoping that it all does come true,” Hyndman told reporters. “Because one of the things we said is the sale of Brek should give us an opportunity to go get some players we need. You take a look at today, we need finishers. With Blas [Pérez] being gone as much as he is, we need somebody to carry that along.”
READ: FC Dallas see opportunities as dust from Shea sale settles
Hyndman’s squad is in dire need of acquiring another proven goalscorer as Pérez is set to potentially miss close to 10 games due to international duty with Panama, plus a two-game suspension to start the MLS season. Behind the Panamanian sit only Homegrown forwards Bradlee Baladez and Jonathan Top, as recent Brazilian signing Pipico has already been sent home after coming into preseason camp out of shape.
A forward to complement Pérez has been at the top of the FCD wish list for some time and with just a month to go until the MLS season kicks off, the enigmatic Hassli seems to be the answer. Despite struggling with a nagging ankle injury, the French forward scored five goals and added five assists in 25 games split between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC last season after a 10-goal campaign in 2011.
“He’s a goalscorer,” said Hyndman. “He’s a player that will be in the right place in the right time and if he’s not scoring goals, he will be creating goals for players."
It’s unlikely that FC Dallas will be giving up much for Hassli, who has reportedly been looking for a move away from TFC, and perhaps the most interesting aspect of the deal will be whether or not the club pays Hassli’s full Designated Player salary or if the move is similar to the trade between FCD and TFC last year that brought Julian de Guzman to Dallas.
