Plus, top matches taking place this weekend.

Things are moving fast and furious at Toronto FC! Okay, maybe not so much.

But, we’ve got our coach, we’ve made a new signing, we’ve extended Alonso Coello, and Federico Bernadeschi’s automatic extension kicked in.

Oh, and Lorenzo Insigne is still a Red despite the many, many, many rumours he was on his way back to Italia this winter.

Though not a whole lot has happened on the signing new player front, GM Jason Hernandez has gone on the record to say they are aiming to bring in at least three new squad members. He mentioned the team wanting to sign five new players, but did hedge his bets.

Considering they have signed Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu on loan from Spanish side Granada for all of 2025, that could technically mean only two more signings to meet their minimum desired.

As passionate football fans, we have the propensity to dream big about who our clubs should bring into the fold. I’m sticking to a rule that they have to be part of transfer rumours or out of contract this year.

Also, I’m choosing one for each part of the pitch: Midfield, Forward, and Defender. With that noted, here are three players who I would love to see take the pitch at BMO Field this season.

Bryan Cristante, CDM/CM, AS Roma. Cristante is a serviceable centre midfielder who brings vision, a history of durability, field smarts, and the occasional offense. He turns 30 in March, so he’s not a long-term solution in the midfield, but could bring at least two good years while some younger players are coached up. He’s also been out of favour at Roma lately with Fiorentina even reaching out to see about his availability. Oh yeah, and though he was born and raised in Italia, he has dual Canadian-Italian citizenship (his dad is a Canadian of Italian descent), which means he counts as a domestic player for Toronto FC. Would he come? Maybe, but only if he was certain he was no longer part of the Azzurri’s plans for the 2026 World Cup. He may even be available on a loan as Roma has Cristante signed until 2027, and his salary is only $3.1 million USD.

Jonathan David, CF, Lille. Okay, I know this is super-duper big dreaming, but man oh man, David would be a legend as a Red. Not only is he a beloved Canadian men’s team star, but he would certainly be the finisher needed to take the pressure off the Italian wingers. With a lot of European experience, he would be the perfect fit for this TFC side. He’s out of contract on June 30, 2025, and an extension has yet to be announced. However, he’s so highly respected and sought after, a move back home is very, very – did I mention very – unlikely. Plus, his market value is over $46 million USD and in his mid-twenties, he’ll be getting a mammoth salary wherever he plies his trade.

Davide Calabria, RB, AC Milan. I also debated putting Alphonso Davies here, but the Canadian is four years younger and about to sign a new Bayern contract. I also thought about Virgil Van Dyk, since the Reds to Reds move would sound cool, but he’s almost certainly getting an extension from Liverpool. Nelson Semedo is another option, but he’s still a big part of the Portugal national team. Then came Calabria. He’s no longer a must-start at Milan, he’s not a permanent fixture with the national team, and his market value is reasonable (around $8 million USD). His contract expires in June and he’s still only 28 years old, which is relatively young for a defender. He may command a $3 million salary, but that’s not unreasonable.

So those are the dreams. But I also had a look at some relatively well known free agents that could be a good fit for the new Toronto FC project.

Forwards: Jonathan Benteke, Mislav Orsic, Maxi Gomez.

Midfielders: Felipe, Joao Pedro.

Defenders: Mario Rui, Raheem Edwards, Luca Petrasso.

Those are my thoughts, hit me up with any of your own dream players or even realistic signings.

Serie A: Juventus vs. AC Milan, Saturday, Jan. 18 at noon (FuboTV Canada). Not much needs to be explained as two of the planet’s most famous clubs take the pitch in Turin. Both are still within reach of a Top 4 finish and the guaranteed Champions League spot. Milan needs the win more than Juve does, as the fifth place Old Lady has a three point lead over the seventh place Rossoneri. It will either be a fantastic affair with multiple goals by both sides and ending in a draw, or one of the two will score early and “park the bus” and suffer greatly to get the result.

Premier League: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa, Saturday, Jan. 18 at 12:30 p.m. (FuboTV Canada). If there was ever a must-win for the Gunners, it’s this match. At home against an up-and-coming Villa side that’s sitting just outside the European automatic spots. Four points behind Liverpool for the league’s top position. Coming off a fantastic 2-1 win in the North London derby. And with the Champions League starting up again mid-week. Meanwhile, Villa has three straight wins in all competitions and is looking to make their own move up the table. Should be a good one with more than a couple of goals being potted.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg, Saturday, Jan. 18 at 9:30 a.m. (DAZN Canada). Likely the best match since it’s the league leaders at home against a tough seventh-place club. But, also, there is Canadian content in the form of Alphonso Davies. Plus, Munich are just fun to watch when they’re at home and firing on all cylinders.

La Liga: I don’t know. Any match this weekend could end up being really interesting. They could all also suck. Atletico travels to Leganes (10:30 a.m. on Jan. 18), Barcelona is away to Getafe (3 p.m. on Jan. 18), and Real Madrid hosts Las Palmas (10:15 a.m. on Jan. 19). All matches will be on TSN or TSN+.

Thanks for reading! Ciao for now!

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