The Philadelphia Union is starting its second week of preseason preparation for the 2023 season. The club is heading to Clearwater Florida to keep those preparations going, but could we see a new face with the team soon? At the end of last week, rumors/reports came out that Philly was interested in Montreal attacking midfielder/striker Joaquin Torres. Could we see a new attacking player soon?
Joaquin Torres is a quintessential Union signing
Torres is a short, crafty attacking midfielder who can also play as a winger or a false-9/second striker. He’s been with Montreal for the past two seasons playing 55 matches in MLS. His skill on the ball and versatility to play different attacking positions make Torres a quintessential Union style of signing should it happen.
Looking back on the last few signings the Union has made in MLS, you see the Julian Carranza deal that helped Philly get a high-quality starting striker for a fraction of the price that Miami paid for him. We also see the signing of Andres Perea from Orlando as a young depth player that can help Philly on their quest to play 50+ games in 2023. The possible Torres signing would probably fall more along with the Perea deal.
Philly has DP Daniel Gazdag as their number 10, and Julian Carranza and Mikael Uhre are the starting strikers in a 4-4-2 diamond. This would mean Torres wouldn’t waltz in and be the starter for Philly. He’d likely come from playing the majority of two seasons in Montreal to be a backup attacking player. This does raise the question: is Joaquin Torres a possible replacement for Cory Burke or Paxten Aaronson?
Union close to securing Burke/Aaronson replacement?
Joaquin Torres being a target for Philly is an interesting thought. He can play multiple attacking positions and has the experience in MLS to warrant production when he’s called upon. He could be a good get to replace the attacking bench options.
So far this off-season, Philadelphia’s depth in the attack has been tested as Cory Burke signed with New York Red Bulls, and Paxten Aaronson transferred out to the Bundesliga. This leaves homegrown Quinn Sullivan and in-experienced Chris Donovan as the attacking options off the bench. Could it be that Torres is the solution to losing both Burke and Aaronson?
It would be peak Ernst Tanner if he replaced two players with one. However given how Philly operates, and how they love to roster versatile players who can play in multiple positions, Torres could be a really good get.
Will we see this signing soon?
The latest update on this transfer came from Tommy Scoops himself last Friday. he confirmed that Philly was in talks with Montreal for the transfer of Torres. It sounds like talks have just started, but could there be a possibility of seeing Torres join the Union in Clearwater in the coming days/weeks?
All signs point to this being a guy that Tanner and Curtin would want as they continue to ready themselves for playing in four different competitions in 2023. They’ll need depth and versatile players to compete in all four, which is the goal this season.
As preseason rolls on, we’ll keep an eye on this as well as any other possible transfer rumors or negotiators from the tight-lipped Tanner and the Union. The need for an out-and-out striker, a center-back, and possibly a new left-back as well could make for a busy last few weeks of January and the winter transfer window.
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