Toronto FC trade Nick Hagglund to FC Cincinnati

According to many reports across Twitter, it seems Toronto FC have completed a trade sending centre-back Nick Hagglund to expansion side FC Cincinnati. In return, the Reds will receive $300,000 in allocation money ($200k in GAM, $100k in TAM), as well as the top spot in the allocation order.

Hagglund, 26, is a Cincinnati native, who played his college soccer locally at Xavier University, before TFC drafted him 10th overall in the 2014 SuperDraft. Rumours about a move to Cincinnati for Haggs had been circulating pretty much ever since the expansion team was announced, and especially after TFC signed Laurent Ciman a few weeks ago.

In his five seasons with Toronto, Hagglund had his fair share of ups and downs — he was, perhaps, a victim of the revolving door of defensive lineups that plagued every TFC defender in 2018. He made 115 total appearances for the Reds, producing some pretty badass memories (especially as a critical piece of the defence in both 2016 and 2017).

I’m sure TFC fans will never forget this:

Nor, indeed, will anybody be quick to forget Hagglund’s unbelievable (and kind of hilarious) brace in TFC’s roller coaster game against D.C. United this past season, in which he used his incredible aerial prowess to keep the Reds in it:

Hagglund seemed to be one of TFC’s most well-liked players, both among his teammates and among fans. It’s unfortunate that he’s been forced out, now that the Reds have the likes of Ciman, Chris Mavinga, Drew Moor, and possible even Gregory van der Wiel ahead of him on the centre-back depth chart, along with Eriq Zavaleta and several young TFC II options also needing minutes.

The return is actually quite good for TFC; they’ve acquired quite a bit of allocation money now this year, and jumping back up to the top of the allocation order suggests they may have their eyes on yet another player to sign either in the next couple weeks or in the summer.

Fare thee well, Nick “Billy Bishop” Hagglund.