TORONTO — More reinforcements could be on the way for Toronto FC as the summer transfer window looms closer, and it appears likely that the club could go back to South America to find its next big move.
“One player that we really wanted to try and get in has ended up signing with another team unfortunately,” head coach Ryan Nelsen told MLSsoccer.com this week. “So we move on to the next one and hopefully we can get him. We’ve lined up three or four players and all of them would potentially be long term prospects at the club.”
The current TFC regime’s first marquee signing, 21-year-old Young Designated Player Matías Laba, has settled in well with Toronto and has arguably been the team’s best player in recent matches.
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While Nelsen is adamant that the club is focused on improving its squad in a holistic manner, he was also willing to admit that the team is hoping to acquire a top-class attacking player. And it is a decent bet that player will also hail from Latin America.
“It is very hard to get players in their peak years from Europe,” Nelsen said. “In South America, you can do a bit better deals. But we are looking everywhere and we are just trying to find the best fits for the club.”
While TFC’s chief scout Pat Onstad has been spending plenty of time recently in South America, Nelsen was also adamant that he will never ignore North American players as he and his colleagues continue to work to build Toronto into a championship-quality side.
“The foundation of Toronto has to be with a North American base, because they know the league and the cities and the travel we have to do,” Nelsen said. “But it is very hard to trade within MLS and get the really good players. They are like gold dust. Still we’re always trying and always asking as I love North American, MLS players. It is proven that every team that wins this league has them.”
