Toronto FC Closing in on Mihailovic Transfer

Summary:

• Toronto FC is getting close to inking a cash deal to acquire Djordje Mihailovic from the Colorado Rapids, an anonymous source says.
• The 26-year-old boasts a current season with nine goals and seven assists, showing signs of a good fit for the club.
• The former CF Montréal players also had a brief stint in the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar.

Toronto FC is reportedly about to land a key piece for its struggling offense. Anonymous sources in soccer say a deal to bring attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic to BMO Field is almost complete. 

The move, expected to be a cash transaction with the Colorado Rapids, is yet to be finalized, according to a source familiar with the talks who requested anonymity gien the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

Toronto has been on the hunt for a new attacking star after bidding goodbye to high-profile designated players Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi earlier this summer. Ever since, the club has been in need of a big name to help it turn around its underwhelming offensive performance.

Toronto is currently ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 5-13-6 record. The club only managed 25 goals in 24 matches, a total that sends it near the bottom of the MLS in scoring. 

Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu leads the squad with five goals, while defensive midfielder Deybi Flores tops the assist chart with just two, further proving the club’s need for more power up front.

Mihailovic’s Second Canadian Club

Djordie Mihailovic has been enjoying a productive season in Colorado with nine goals and seven assists in 24 appearances. 

The 26-year-old is earning $1.775 million this season, a relatively modest salary compared to the $15.4 million Toronto had been paying Insigne or the $6.295 million Bernardeschi earned.

If it goes through, the deal would bring Mihailovic his second stint in Canada. He spent two seasons with CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022. In 2021, he tallied 16 assists and broke Ignacio Piatti’s single-season club record. 

He was originally acquired by Montréal from the Chicago Fire for $800,000 in general allocation money.

Mihailovic began his professional career in 2017 with the Fire, where he made 73 appearances, scoring seven goals and registering 15 assists. 

In Europe, he moved to Dutch club AZ Alkmaar following the 2022 MLS season, where he strived to make a significant impact but only managed to score twice in 36 appearances before going back to MLS earlier this year.

Internationally, Mihailovic has been capped 11 times by the U.S. men’s national team, scoring his lone goal in a friendly against Panama in January 2019.