TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Toronto FC have acquired Argentine winger Pablo Piatti from La Liga side Espanyol, the club announced Friday. Piatti is added to Toronto's roster as their third Designated Player.
Piatti, who turns 31 in March, has been playing in Spain since 2008, with stops at Almeria, Valencia and Espanyol. He’s featured in nearly 300 La Liga matches, with 48 goals and 42 assists across that span. Piatti’s professional career began with Estudiantes in 2006, and he's logged one appearance with Argentina’s national team during a June 2011 friendly against Poland.
“Pablo comes to TFC with an exceptional pedigree,” TFC president Bill Manning said in a club statement. “He brings big-game experience to our team, having played in close to 300 games in La Liga, as well as competing in the UEFA Champions League. We believe he’s the type of dynamic player who is going to enhance our attack and TFC fans are really going to enjoy watching him play.”
After making MLS Cup in 2019, TFC are reloading for 2020 with another star. The club signed Michael Bradley to a Targeted Allocation Money deal, opening up a DP spot that Piatti fills. He joins one of the best attacks in the league, led by midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo and forward Jozy Altidore.
“Pablo is an experienced player that has exceptional character," said general manager Ali Curtis. "We believe that he will fit very well within our group. His eagerness to join the team in Los Angeles as quickly as possible is indicative of his team-first mentality. By adding Pablo to an existing strong attacking unit, we become a better team.”
The club have also furthered their youth movement this offseason, adding three Homegrown players to the squad. TFC open their 2020 season Feb. 29 at the San Jose Earthquakes.
