English
Español
DeutschThe 2026 MLS season marked the fifth year in a row that Toronto FC failed to qualify for the playoffs, and it’s not difficult to understand why when you break down the numbers.
TFC was tied for the league’s third-worst attack a year ago with just 37 goals in 34 games. None of the team’s forwards scored more than four goals — winger Theo Corbeanu was the club’s top scorer with a paltry six strikes.
Not since the 2019 campaign have the Reds had a player who finished in double-digits for scoring in MLS. Alejandro Pozuelo had 12 goals that year, while Jozy Altidore potted 11. Not so coincidentally, that was the last time Toronto reached the MLS Cup.
From 2015-19, Toronto played in three MLS Cup finals (winning it in 2017), made the playoffs four times, won a Supporters’ Shield and a trio of Canadian Championships. The Reds’ glory period ended seven years ago, but it seems much longer than that by the way they’ve stumbled and fumbled their way through the dark during this playoff drought.
Never have TFC more badly needed a marquee forward than they do right now to help turn their flagging fortunes around. The good news is that help has arrived. Toronto announced late last week that it secured Josh Sargent via transfer from English side Norwich City, signing the American to a deal through the 2030-31 MLS season.
Sargent was officially unveiled as the club’s new designated player during Wednesday’s press event at Scotiabank Arena, and MLSE CEO Keith Pelley could hardly contain himself when extolling the virtues of Toronto’s new star striker.
“He’s a special guy. He’s a special player; special skills. But what he really is, is a man who is going to fit the culture. He’s going to make us better overnight. He’s going to be a star in the city, a star with TFC,” Pelley told the media and fans in attendance.
Being a DP forward in MLS comes with a weight of expectations, especially when you’re signed by a team that has lurched from one failure to another, gone through multiple coaches and general managers, and undergone major roster turnover over the past half-decade.
But Sargent insists he doesn’t feel any added pressure being the focal point of TFC’s ongoing rebuilding process.
“I think it’s more of a privilege. I saw how committed this club was to get me over here, and it makes me want to only work harder for the club and to produce good things. So, I’m just excited to get started and hopefully bring some success to the club,” Sargent explained.
GM Jason Hernandez said at the conclusion of last year that securing a DP forward would be his top priority ahead of the 2026 MLS season. Sargent fits that bill as he has a proven track record as a consistent goal scorer at the club level.
He was a teenage prodigy in his native Missouri and during his time in the U.S. residency program in Florida before joining the youth academy of German club Werder Bremen. Sargent made his debut for Werder Bremen’s first team in Dec. 2018, when he was subbed on in the 76th minute. Just two minutes later, he scored his first goal for the Bundesliga club.
The American tallied 15 goals and nine assists in 83 games across all competitions for the German outfit until he left in the summer of 2021 to join the Premier League’s Norwich City on a four-year deal via transfer. Sargent had four goals and three assists in all competitions in his debut campaign in 2021-22 for Norwich, who were relegated at the end of the season.
Since the Canaries’ demotion, Sargent had been one of the top scorers in England’s second division. He bagged 13 goals and two assists in 2022-23, and he followed that up with his best campaign in 2023-24 when he netted 16 goals. In 2024-25, he scored 15 goals and was named to the Championship’s team of the season. He had eight goals in 24 games through 2025-26 before being benched by the club after putting in a transfer request. His last appearance for Norwich was on Jan. 4.
Meanwhile, the financial terms of the transfer were not shared by TFC, but reports have pegged it at $22 million USD, which could rise to $27 million if Sargent hits certain performance metrics with his new club. And that’s not even including his salary, which will push the total cost much higher. It’s a lot of money, and conventional wisdom suggests that the Reds have overpaid for Sargent.
Just the price of doing business, Pelley and Hernandez both countered.
“I think he’s great value in every possible way. We want to contend, we want to win a championship, and we knew Josh was the answer,” Pelley stated.
Of course, TFC have been down this road before, splashing huge amounts of money on players from clubs abroad who didn’t work out. Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi (to a lesser extent) were washouts in MLS, so much so that Toronto bought both of them out of their contracts last summer.
But the Sargent signing could be different. For starters, he’ll be motivated to do well during his first stint in MLS, eager to earn a spot on the U.S. squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Sargent has five goals in 29 games for his country, with his latest cap coming in September 2025. But his last goal for the U.S. came in 2019, and he’s not a lock for the World Cup roster as several other forwards have moved ahead of him on the team’s depth chart.
Second, Sargent celebrated his 26th birthday last month, which means he has plenty of gas left in the tank, and Toronto is getting a player who probably hasn’t even hit his peak.
You might recall that Sebastian Giovinco was 27, Michael Bradley was 26 and Jozy Altidore was 25 when they signed with TFC. All three players went on to become monumental figures for Toronto, helping to transform the club from league laughingstock into an MLS superpower.
Is Sargent going to become the second coming of Giovinco, one of the best players in MLS history, who had 83 goals and 51 assists in 142 games for Toronto FC?
Probably not.
But given Sargent’s age, skill set and profile, he looks a good bet to take MLS by storm. He has the potential to have a transformational impact on TFC, much in the same way that Giovinco did when he played alongside Bradley and Altidore.
“What’s interesting is all three of those guys are almost different in their own way. Michael, from a culture standpoint and a leadership standpoint and a standards standpoint, really did an incredible job,” Hernandez offered.
Toronto’s GM went on to say Giovinco was in a class by himself as far as goal production and described Altidore as a winner.
“It would be fantastic if we got all of those elements in some way, shape or form from Josh,” Hernandez said. “As far as being a culture driver, being prolific and is able to deliver for us, and also help us with winning. In my wildest dreams, my hope is that in all of those ways, he can have an effect on us and his time here for TFC to the positive.”
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
