Another USMNT star is coming back to MLS. Jozy Altidore is joining Toronto FF on a transfer from EPL side Sunderland.
The rumors have been swirling around and it’s now official. Jozy Altidore will be leaving Sunderland to join MLS side Toronto FC through MLS’s allocation ranking. In exchange, Jermain Defoe is headed to Sunderland.
It is rumored MLS will also be getting cash as well, which would make sense given how poor Altidore has played with Sunderland; Defoe’s value is higher than Altidore’s current value.
Last night Altidore arrived in Toronto, and TFC announced there would be a major announcement on Friday at 11:00 am.
Altidore needed a fresh start at the club level after a horrible stint with Sunderland. He was featured sparingly throughout his 18 months with the EPL side and struggled to find a starting spot. This was bad news for the USMNT, as he seemed less confident and lacked his usual quality finishing.
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At TFC, he will basically take Defoe’s spot in the starting XI. Likewise, USMNT teammate and Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley will feed him the ball on a regular basis. This is also good news for USMNT and their future success, because they get more experience and playing time together.
As a result, they can further develop their chemistry as club and national team teammates.
Altidore is only 25, while Defoe is 32 and battled injuries last season. This is a good move for TFC as it seemed like Defoe never fully adjusted to MLS in his one season within the league.
“Our top priority is building a winning club with players that are committed to the TFC vision. Jozy is a special player, and checks off all of the boxes that we look for in a player. We are excited to finalize this deal and bring him to Toronto FC,” said Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko.
“It became clear that a return for Jermain to the English Premier League was going to be in the best interests of both sides. We’d like to thank Jermain for his contributions to Toronto FC and wish him well.”
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