Bob Bradley confirmed that the Reds’ all-time leader in appearances is indeed the team’s third DP at the moment.
Over the course of the 2022-23 offseason, there was quite some chatter regarding whether Toronto FC would splash the cash on a third Designated Player. Now, Bob Bradley has confirmed that Jonathan Osorio, who put pen to paper on a new deal with the club in December 2022, is the current occupant of TFC’s third DP slot, likely due to MLS’s salary cap restrictions.
Bob Bradley confirms that Jonathan Osorio is currently occupying Toronto FC’s 3rd DP slot. It’s not a forgone conclusion that TFC will sign a 3rd DP.
“Potentially we could [add] a 3rd DP but the budget for the 3rd DP is not at the same level … that’s an MLSE [budget] decision.” https://t.co/g2mxpFscey
— Michael Singh (@MichaelSingh94) March 10, 2023
At the end of the 2022 season, summer arrivals Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi occupied two of TFC’s three DP slots. The expiry of Osorio’s previous contract led to speculation regarding whether or not the 30-year-old’s new deal would see him become the club’s third DP.
Then on December 12th, 2022, Toronto FC officially announced that their all-time leader in appearances had signed a new three-year contract with a 2026 option using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
In addition to Osorio re-signing with Toronto FC, the Reds have added nine new players to their first-team roster, including USMNT international Sean Johnson and esteemed MLS veteran Matt Hedges.
With no new DP arrivals, there was a sense that the club could be plotting a move in the summer once the European transfer window reopens. For now though, Osorio will indeed occupy the open slot, which was vacated following Carlos Salcedo’s departure in July 2022.
TFC president Bill Manning has previously stated that given Insigne and Bernardeschi’s respective deals, a potential third DP would not be of the same financial caliber as the Reds’ Italian attacking duo.
As we wait for more clarity, the question that still remains is whether Toronto FC will acquire a new DP later this year, and if so, just how notable of a name will they be?