Toronto FC acquired Brazilian winger Thiago Andrade from San Diego FC on Wednesday in a trade executed around the Major League Soccer expansion draft.
Expansion San Diego picked Andrade from New York City FC with its fourth pick in the draft and then sent the 24-year-old to Toronto for a first-round pick (ninth overall) in the MLS SuperDraft and US$250,000 in conditional general allocation money. San Diego will also get a portion of a future Andrade transfer fee if sold out of MLS by TFC.
“We are happy to add Thiago to TFC for the upcoming 2025 season," Toronto general manager Jason Hernandez said in a statement. "His ability to combine pace and relentless runs to threaten the depth behind defences will be a welcomed addition to our group. We look forward to working with Thiago and welcoming him to our city.”
Andrade scored 12 goals and added six assists in 71 appearances for NYCFC across all competitions, spending the last two seasons out on loan.
He had three goals and three assists in 24 matches with China's Shenzhen Peng City FC in 2024. The year before he spent in Brazil with Athletico Paranaense, playing 16 games across all competitions before joining Shenzhen, which is also operated by NYCFC owner City Football Group.
Andrade began his career in the Fluminense academy before spending six months in Portugal with Portimonense. He joined Bahia and was the leading scorer in Brazil’s U-20 competition before breaking into the Bahia senior squad in 2021.
He joined NYCFC from Bahia in April 2021, scoring four goals and adding two assists in 21 regular-season appearances (including nine starts).
One of those goals was of the highlight-reel variety when, against D.C. United in June, he took a throw from goalkeeper Sean Johnson — now Toronto's 'keeper — and ran the length of the field with just five touches, outmanoeuvring several defenders before knocking the ball home for a stoppage-time winner.
Andrade was on the bench when the New York side downed the Portland Timbers in a penalty shootout to win the 2021 MLS Cup final.
In 2022, Andrade appeared in 33 of 34 regular-season games (14 starts) with five goals and two assists.
Last week NYCFC exercised the option on Andrade's 2025 contract. The Brazilian earned US$219,600 this season, according to the MLS Players Association.
NYCFC originally signed the Brazilian using the league's under-22 initiative, which offers teams a break on the player's salary cap hit. Toronto could choose to retain that designation depending on whether it is needed elsewhere and how it wants to build its roster.
League rules allow teams to choose to between having up to three designated players and up to three U22 Initiative players (the designated player model) or up to two designated players and up to four U22 Initiative players (the U22 Initiative player mode, which comes with up to an additional $2 million in general allocation money).
Toronto currently has three designated players in Lorenzo Insigne, Federico Bernardeschi and Canadian Richie Laryea. Hernandez has said Laryea's contract could be changed to a non-DP deal.
Teams were allowed to protect 12 players from their senior and supplemental rosters for Wednesday's draft. San Diego was able to select up to five players from the eligible pool of players, but could only take one from any one club.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press