TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: report
Jozy Altidore will not play for the US men’s national team in his Sunday friendly against Trinidad and Tobago due to an injury. Transfer rumors are now swirling around Toronto FC’s standout striker.
In his pre-game conference call, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter stated that Altidore was not suitable for Sunday’s competition due to muscle strain, adding that Altidore had piqued the interest of several unidentified potential transfer candidates as of the Feb. 1 deadline of approaches for many European countries.
“As the transfer window is looming and the game is tomorrow, it’s a chance we didn’t want to take with Jozy, so he won’t take part,” said Berhalter.
“In the last three weeks it has been hard to believe the number of calls I’ve received about different players,” he added. “We got calls about a lot of players. Jozy is another focus of transfer speculation. I don’t think it’s my job to go into details. I think this is a place for his club and for Jozy. But there were a number of clubs interested in Jozy, as well as other players in the camp. “
The athlete ‘s Paul Tenorio later reported confirmation that several teams had inquired about Altidore’s services.
A source aware of the situation confirms that numerous teams have asked about Altidore’s availability to move. However, we are close to the deadlines.
Should be a fun last day for a few USMNT players with a European interest. https://t.co/6Rhyo9pauX
– Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) January 30, 2021
Any move for Altidore would obviously be big news for a player who has been one of the faces of the club since returning to MLS in 2015 and helped make Toronto a powerhouse of the Eastern Conference. Mostly injured in recent years, the 31-year-old was one of the league’s deadliest strikers when he was on the field, scoring 58 goals in 123 games for the Reds.
Altidore also remains the most successful striker in the USMNT pool, with 42 career goals for seniors.
