Report: Toronto FC Linked With Celtic Fullback Emilio Izaguirre

The Major League Soccer summer transfer window opens on July 4, but Toronto FC is already being linked with new players. The club is expected to be fairly active in the summer window as they try to patch up depth issues that have popped up early in the 2016 season.

The player they have been linked with on this occasion, however, does not appear to come in a position of need. Emilio Izaguirre is a left fullback who has spent the vast majority of his career playing for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

The Honduran defender has been linked to Toronto FC by a variety of different sources, but the story appears to have originated from EuroSport. Izaguirre still has one year left on his contract with Celtic, but has lost his starting spot to youngster Kieran Tierney.

The thing is, there is perhaps no position on the field where Toronto FC is more stable than left back. Other than Sebastian Giovinco, Justin Morrow is the most consistent player on Toronto FC both in giving a solid performance and being available for selection. Behind him, Ashtone Morgan has proven to be a reliable option. Unless they plan to play Izaguirre elsewhere in the lineup, the move doesn't really make much sense.

What Izaguirre does bring, however, is plenty of experience. The 30-year-old has played over 200 games for Celtic, and before that spent several years with Motagua, one of the top teams in Honduras. He has represented the Honduran national team 84 times, scoring twice. Izaguirre has also played in two World Cups: 2010 and 2014.

Reports suggest that Izaguirre will soon start training with Toronto FC at the Kia Training Ground, and then the team will make an assessment from there. This isn't the first time that the Honduran has been linked with Toronto FC, two years ago his name floated around the Toronto FC rumour mill, including the possibility that he could join the team as a DP.

While Toronto FC does not currently have the cap space to afford a player like Izaguirre, or Tosaint Ricketts who remains in Toronto should the club have a spot for him, they are expected to get space this summer. That is when the contract for striker Herculez Gomez comes off the books.

One would expect Toronto FC to make a like for like replacement with Gomez's contract room, especially considering the club's lack of striker depth. Marco Borriello, for example, is a name that has been linked to the club on several occasions. However, there is always the possibility that they add multiple players during the summer transfer window.