Toronto FC made what might be the biggest splash in the Major League Soccer transfer market this season with the signing of exciting Venezuelan attacker Yeferson Soteldo.
The 23-year-old joins as the clubs third designated player, a slot the Canadian side had been looking to fill to give them the best chance of competing for honours in 2021.
Its not been the best start to the season for the 2017 MLS Cup winners, but they will hope the addition of one of the most impressive players in the Americas will give them a much-needed boost.
We were the right club, playing in the right league. It was the right player, the right time and the right price," Toronto FC general manager Ali Curtis said in an interview with the official MLS website.
It was good to push the deal over the line, I think hes going to be an incredible player for our team and this league."
Soteldo made over 100 appearances for his previous club, Santos, the Brazilian side who finished runners-up in last seasons Copa Libertadores final after which Soteldo was named in the team of the tournament.
Ever since he burst onto the scene as part of an impressive generation of young Venezuelan players that finished runners-up in the 2017 U20 World Cup in South Korea, hes been tipped as one of his countrys stars of the future.
That his first move out of South America is to Major League Soccer, can be seen as something as a coup for the league.
Quite frankly, Toronto are lucky to be acquiring such a player full-stop, let alone at the bargain-basement price at which theyre doing so, says Venezuelan football expert Jordan Florit of FUTVE English.
Many reasons are proposed as to why Soteldo hasnt made it to Europe yet, but MLS is increasingly proving itself as a hotbed of talent and an increasingly fertile market for Europes big five.
Whether a Libertadores finalist and Conmebol Team of the Season member needs to prove himself any further is by the by; Toronto and MLS have secured themselves a readymade staranother Josef MartÃnez primed to pin the flag of Venezuela on the MLS landscape.
One reason sometimes given for Soteldos failure to attract offers from Europe is his diminutive stature. He joins a number of names in MLS history, such as Joao Plata and Maxi Morales, who stand at just over 5 feet tall.
Given his talent and ability to wow fans, there is no reason he couldnt move to one of the top leagues in the world at some point, but for now Europes loss is Canadas gain.
Soteldo has been one of the most exciting players in South America for a number of years, starting out in his homeland with Zamora before playing for Chilean sides Huachipato and Universidad de Chile prior to his move to Santos.
Soteldo is the kind of player who makes a kid fall in love with football for the first time, adds Florit, author of Red Wine and Arepas: How Football is Becoming Venezuela's Religion.
Hes the kind of artist who keeps you coming back for more when youre tired of the modern sins of the game and long for the days of old.
Its the joy he plays the game with, the smile he wears as he plays, that does this. He has the same infectious enchantment Ronaldinho used to exude, playfully caressing the ball as if he were on the school playground and not the Camp Nou or in a World Cup final.
The infantile curiosity with which he tries new things and the simplicity with which he executes the complex makes the everyday football fan remember what it was like to feel as if turning pro was just a matter of time.
The growing trend of South American players moving to MLS may have peaked with Torontos move for Soteldo.
The last time a player combining such potential with already established talent made the move north was Ezequiel Barco to Atlanta United.
Barco was considered the continents top talent and primed for a move to Europe, but instead opted for the exciting project in Atlanta.
The fact Barcos move hasnt yet worked out entirely as planned may be a warning sign for Toronto and Soteldo, but the Venezuelan can already be considered a level above Barco, especially given hes slightly older and has experience in international football.
In terms of style and position Soteldo is a tricky attacker and playmaker who has most recently played from the left, as shown above in the actions map from Smarterscout, but can also play through the middle as a No. 10 or support striker.
The diminutive trickster is an enigmatic No. 10 who has become a master at operating as an inside forward off the left flank, says Florit.
His raw flair and creativity was harnessed by Jorge Sampaoli at Santos who recognised that with some discipline he could transform the Venezuelan from the perennial luxury playmaker to an invaluable wing wizard.
From then on his importance only grew at the Brazilian giants and he was one of the main protagonists in leading them all the way to the Copa Libertadores 2020 final under Cuca.
Toronto are certainly getting a player who will entertain the fans once they can return to BMO Field at some point this season, and in Soteldo and last seasons MLS MVP Alejandro Pozuelo they potentially have the two best players in the league in their ranks.
