Toronto FC is in negotiations to sign U.S. men’s national team center back Omar Gonzalez, three sources with knowledge of the discussions told The Athletic.
Gonzalez, 30, currently plays with Atlas in Liga MX. He has spent the past four seasons in Mexico after moving to Pachuca in 2015. The veteran defender, who has 49 caps with the U.S—including three appearances at the 2014 World Cup—was recently called in to a U.S. national team camp under coach Gregg Berhalter.
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The 6-foot-5 center back would be subject to the MLS allocation process. However, Toronto FC currently holds the top spot on the list, so it would not need to make any trades in order to complete the signing. Sources said the two sides are currently in negotiations, and the deal is not yet finalized. It was not immediately clear if Toronto FC would use targeted allocation money (TAM) in the signing, however expectations are that Gonzalez would require a salary in that TAM threshold.
Before moving to Mexico, Gonzalez played seven seasons for the L.A. Galaxy, winning MLS Cups in 2011, 2012 and 2014. He started 178 of 180 regular season games with L.A. in that seven-year span, making another 25 starts in the playoffs.
Gonzalez told reporters at the last U.S. national team camp that he worked hard to improve as a player after the U.S.’s stunning loss in Trinidad and Tobago that knocked them out of the World Cup.
“I think, playing-wise, I’m a totally different player than I was a year-and-a-half ago,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve really put in the work to improving where people might think I had many faults. I really took a look at myself and thought, ‘Where can I improve on my game and the things that I do well? Can I do those even better? Can I improve the things I don’t do so well?’ It’s been hard work. But that’s the great part of doing what you love and mastering your craft. It’s a daily grind of putting in the work.”
Gonzalez scored an own goal in that loss to Trinidad, and said the loss lingered with him.
“It stayed with me a long time,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be over it, but I am past it emotionally.”
Gonzalez would slot into the starting lineup for a Toronto FC side that has seen Chris Mavinga, Drew Moor, Laurent Ciman and Eriq Zavaleta all start games this season. He will be expected to immediately provide a boost to a team that has allowed 13 goals in seven games this season—a clip of 1.86 goals per game. TFC currently sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points.
(Photo: Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)