TORONTO – Toronto FC’s rebuilding project in 2013 under manager Ryan Nelsen and president and GM Kevin Payne is still a work in progress.
But the biggest player coups are yet to come.
Following loan deals for the likes of New Zealand international Jeremy Brockie, Queens Park Ranger defender Tal Ben Haim, ex-Birmingham City defender Steven Caldwell and the full transfer of new Designated Player Matías Laba, there are ambitious plans for the summer transfer window.
READ: TFC put players on notice that more roster changes are coming as losses pile up
“We are looking at a couple of players that we think will make a very, very big difference on our team,” Payne told MLSsoccer.com on Monday. “They would be DPs and they are in [the attacking] part of the field. We don’t necessarily disagree with the analysis that we need more creativity out of the midfield. We are asking an awful lot out of Robbie [Earnshaw] and he is doing a ton of work for us. He is really getting no help and that has to change.”
But MLS teams are limited to three Designated Players and TFC already have two DPs on the roster in Laba and Dutch forward Danny Koevermans, who is on the road back from an ACL tear.
So how can the team swing another two DPs? That's not clear just yet.
But what’s for sure is that the Reds are banking on Koevermans suiting up for them and making an impact.
“Koevermans is out there now playing on a full-field scrimmage. The hope is that he may see some action this week in the reserve game,” Payne said. “Koev can score goals. Just watching him this week in training, it’s remarkable how many goals he scores in training. The guy just knows where the goal is. With that big body he is able to get position and is just a born goalscorer.
"He is going to add a different dimension, whether he plays with Robbie or alternates time with Robbie.”
