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According to a bombshell report this morning by Sportsnet’s John Molinaro and Joshua Kloke of The Athletic, Toronto FC have agreed a transfer deal that will send midfielder Victor Vazquez to an unidentified club in Qatar.
Vazquez, 31, has been in Toronto for the past two years, coming to the Reds from Cruz Azul before the 2017 season. He was an integral member of TFC’s 2017 run to the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield, and although he struggled heavily with injuries in 2018, he was widely considered one of the club’s most talented attacking players.
The Spanish-born product of the Barcelona academy made 60 appearances for TFC, scoring 16 goals (including the crucial second marker in the 2017 MLS Cup Final).
It’ll take some time to digest this news. It does open up quite a bit of salary room for TFC, especially if they’ve received a decent transfer fee (which it sounds like they have, relatively). However, it’s quite surprising to see him move on to another club, especially one in such a different environment.
According to Kloke, it seems Vazquez isn’t just going to Qatar for a one-and-done contract. Rather, he may be looking to stick around there and possibly step into a coaching role after retiring. When exactly that happens likely depends on how healthy Vazquez can stay.
Still a lot to process here but Vazquez's deal looks to be a long-term deal one with a club in Qatar and could include the option to coach after his playing days have finished. Vanney said the deal first came on the radar under Bez's watch but was finalized recently. #TFCLive https://t.co/DgFFkdwfXO
— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) January 15, 2019
What’s your initial impression of this news?