TFC trade Pozuelo to Inter Miami, Bernardeschi deal reportedly close
Toronto FC's shake-up continues.
Just over a week after unveiling Lorenzo Insigne as their latest star signing, the Reds agreed to trade Alejandro Pozuelo to Inter Miami, the club announced Thursday.
Toronto will receive a guaranteed $150,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), and additional GAM if certain "performance-based metrics" are met. The Canadian club will also receive a percentage of any future sale if the Spanish midfielder moves out of MLS, or is traded within the league. The sell-on fee wasn't disclosed.
The trade frees up one of Toronto's three Designated Player spots and removes the remainder of Pozuelo's $4.693-million salary from the club's books. Pozuelo, who joined TFC as a Designated Player in 2019, is the fourth-highest-paid MLS player behind the Chicago Fire's Xherdan Shaqiri, LA Galaxy's Javier Hernandez, and Inter Miami's Gonzalo Higuain.
Pozuelo's contract expires at the end of the 2022 season.
The trade could make way for Federico Bernardeschi, who left Juventus when his contract expired on June 30. Toronto is reportedly in talks with the 28-year-old free agent.
Bernardeschi was Insigne's teammate on Italy's Euro 2020-winning squad.
He'd become the third Italian player to join Toronto FC this season. TFC signed 35-year-old defender Domenico Criscito last week using targeted allocation money.
Pozuelo initially replaced the most celebrated Italian of all, inheriting the No. 10 shirt from Sebastian Giovinco when he arrived from Belgium outfit Genk in March 2019. Pozuelo finished the regular season with 12 goals and 12 assists and played a key role in Toronto's run to the MLS Cup final. However, Toronto fell short in the showpiece event, losing 3-1 to the Seattle Sounders.
The playmaker built on his impressive resume in 2020, earning MVP honors after recording nine goals and 10 assists in the pandemic-shortened regular season.
"Alejandro has been a true professional since arriving here in 2019. He was instrumental in helping us win the 2019 Eastern Conference title, was the league MVP in 2020 and provided our fans with so many memorable goals and assists," TFC president Bill Manning said. "He is a good person, and we wish him nothing but the best."
Injuries limited Pozuelo's production last season. He scored just a single goal in 19 league appearances, and Toronto finished in second-last place in the Eastern Conference.