Marco Bustos set for trial with Toronto FC

As initially reported by Transfermarkt’s Manuel Veth, Pacific FC star Marco Bustos is going on trial with Toronto FC during the Reds’ final week of training in 2022.

The former Vancouver Whitecaps man will reportedly take part in four training sessions, which will allow Bob Bradley and his coaching staff to get a good look at Bustos before the club goes on break ahead of the 2023 season.

The 26-year-old has been at Pacific since January 2020 and has featured a total of 63 times for the Canadian Premier League club. In 2022, the attacking midfielder made 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times and providing seven assists.

Back in November 2021, Bustos played 45 minutes against TFC in the Reds’ 2-1 Canadian Championship semi-final victory over Pacific.

A North Star Shield winner in 2021, Bustos could become the third player to sign for TFC from Pacific following the arrivals of Lukas MacNaughton and Kadin Chung in early 2022. MacNaughton joined the Reds for a reported transfer fee of $175,000, while Chung was signed on a free transfer.

Bustos will become a free agent at the end of 2022, which would allow Toronto to sign him on a free transfer like they did with Chung. Moreover, Bustos would be a welcome depth for TFC as they look to re-establish themselves as a powerhouse in MLS.

During his time in Vancouver, Bustos made a total of 13 appearances in all competitions before having his contract terminated by mutual consent.

In addition, the Winnipeg native has six Canadian men’s national team caps to his name, with his last appearance for Les Rouges coming in a 1-1 draw with Scotland on March 22nd, 2017.

So, could we see Bustos don the famous jersey in 2023 and become the latest player to make a move from the CPL to MLS? Stay tuned.