Santos announces sale of Venezuelan star Soteldo to Toronto FC

Has Toronto FC struck gold again in the transfer market?

The club who’s introduced Sebastian Giovinco and Alejandro Pozuelo to Major League Soccer has now agreed to purchase Yeferson Soteldo from Santos in Brazil.

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Reports say the deal is worth around $6 million and that Soteldo agrees a five-year Designated Player contract.

The Venezuelan winger, 23 until late June, spent two-plus seasons in Brazil after a breakout season with Universidad in Chile.

Soteldo scored 18 goals and added 16 assists for Santos, and was Best XI in the 2020 Copa Libertadores where Santos lost the final to fellow Brazilian side Palmeiras.

Santos made no question about the “Why?” of selling the young star, admitting it was about raising the money to allow the club to overcome transfer penalties.

Sixteen-times capped by Venezuela, Soteldo gives Toronto another electric playmaker to combine with currently injured Pozuelo and Jozy Altidore.

This is pretty exciting stuff. You don’t want to typecast diminutive flash players as like-for-like, but there’s more than a little Giovinco to this cat. Let’s see how it goes.

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