Could Sebastian Giovinco be joining Toronto FC sooner than expected?
A report in Italian publication Tuttosport indicates that TFC’s newest Designated Player signing could be on his way over to Major League Soccer earlier than his expected July signing date. Giovinco’s acquisition was announced in January, and the club made it clear that he would be joining the team upon the opening of the summer transfer window.
But, Tuttosport reports that Italian outfit Juventus, Giovinco’s current club, is in agreement to rescind Giovinco’s contract, with the report, translated from Italian to English, saying that the “ball is passed to the board of Toronto FC that has to decide whether to take on [and pay] Giovinco six months ahead of schedule.”
Giovinco is currently under contract with Juventus until the end of the 2014-2015 Italian Serie A season. Toronto FC signed Giovinco using the Bosman ruling, which allows for pending free agents across the globe to agree terms with new teams without a transfer fee up to six months prior to the end of their current contract. The club’s brass has said repeatedly that they expect Giovinco to join Toronto midseason, with head coach Greg Vanney already planning to build his team with a structure that will remain the same with or without the player known as the “Atomic Ant.”
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When asked to comment on the story, a Toronto FC spokesperson said, “Any speculation on that front is originating in Italy. Giovinco is a Juventus player until the end of June and that is what TFC is preparing for.”
It has been a busy few weeks for the club: Toronto FC continued making moves this week, adding Polish defenderDamien Perquis and French midfielder Benoit Cheyrou, while trading Ghanaian wingerDominic Oduro to the Montreal Impact.
