On Monday the Chicago Fire confirmed their acquisition of former Toronto FC striker Gilberto. The Brazilian striker was claimed on waivers after his loan deal with Vasco da Gama was terminated by the Brazilian club.
TFC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko spoke to members of the media on a conference call about the move and clarified what it means for the Reds.
“If you go back to when we signed our designated players, there was obviously a surplus,” said Bezbatchenko.
“One of our moves once we acquired Jozy Altidore was to find a place for Gilberto on loan where he could play on a good competitive team and hopefully, he would eventually be sold. So we loaned him to Vasco da Gama. During that process we received a loan fee. We also retained a substantial portion of our initial investment on a future sale. His return to MLS doesn’t change any of that.”
Gilberto couldn’t return to Toronto through the new Targeted Allocation Money rule instituted by MLS this month. As a result, the 26-year-old is still a Designated Player.
“He does not qualify for TAM, he would qualify as a Designated Player,” said Bezbatchenko.
TFC’s GM went on to explain how Gilberto’s return to MLS came about.
“We’ve been keeping tabs on him,” he said. “We spoke to his representative group every couple days. It became clear that Vasco wasn’t willing to continue paying his salary. Apparently the best option for him was to come back to MLS. The league controlled that process and put him through waivers."
In the end the club’s GM reiterated his happiness with the acquisitions of Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore this Winter.
“Overall we’re pleased because our financial investment [in Gilberto] continues due to the original terms. We’re happy with Jozy, he’s scored a number of goals and he’s already at where Gilberto was and we have half a season left.”
Bezbatchenko also confirmed that Giovinco, who is dealing with a heel bruise, is expected to travel to Denver for the MLS All-Star game.
“Right now Sebastian is planning on going to the All-Star game,” said Bezbatchenko. “We’re going to bring one of our trainers to make sure he’s fit."
TFC’s GM also confirmed the club remains active on the trade front.
“I’m talking to a lot of GMs, as every team is” said Bezbatchenko. “This year is interesting because our trade deadline used to be September 15th, but this year they’ve lined up the deadline with the same day as the transfer window closing. It’s not just about what you need now, it’s about anticipating what you might need a month from now or two months from now which is really hard. Every team is challenged by these new rules.”
The trade deadline for the season is August 6th.
