Rumour: Midfielder Juninho to undergo physical for Toronto FC

Toronto FC may be looking to bring in some proven MLS talent this off-season, according to a report from Joshua Kloke of The Athletic, who wrote today that Brazilian midfielder Juninho is to undergo a physical with TFC.

Although the report explicitly mentions that there’s no official word whether or not TFC are going to sign Juninho, the fact that he’s in Toronto for an examination suggests that the two sides have at least been in talks.

Juninho, 29, has played seven MLS seasons — six with the LA Galaxy and one with the Chicago Fire. He won three MLS Cups with LA, in 2011, 2012, and 2014, and he was an integral part of a strong Chicago midfield in 2017. His rights are currently owned by Club Tijuana of Liga MX (he was on loan with the Fire, and sorely missed in 2018), so it’s not necessarily a surprise for him to be interested in a return to MLS.

When he was with Chicago in 2017, Juninho was making a hair over $700,000, putting him in the TAM range. So this would be quite a major signing for the Reds, who may need to move some money around to fit him into the roster.

Nonetheless, Juninho would be a very interesting addition to TFC. He’s a proven talent in MLS, having been a major component of several top-notch midfield groups. He has had some injury trouble before, which may be a slight concern, but other than that the steady, skilled central midfielder would significantly bolster the Reds and give them a lot more depth for the Concacaf Champions League in early 2019.