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RUMOR! 2 (good) offensive players on the verge of joining the Montreal CF

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RUMOR! 2 (good) offensive players on the verge of joining the Montreal CF

The Montreal CF camp got underway a few days ago in Arizona. The team’s new coach – along with his new assistant David Sauvry – has been getting to know his new players for a few days now, and already, I like the broad outlines of his plan. Focus on three values to drive the group forward: gratitude, joy and effort.

It’s not just Hernan Losada who left during the off-season: Romell Quioto, Zackary Brault-Guillard, Ahmed Hamdi, Aaron Herrera, Jojea Kwizera, James Pantemis and Sean Rea also headed in another direction. Add to this the departures of Kamal Miller, Matko Miljevic and Rudy Camacho, and you’ll agree that Montreal CF has changed a lot since the departure of MLS champion Wilfried Nancy.

But it hasn’t just been a matter of departures; Ruan, Raheem Edwards, Joaquin Sosa and Sebastian Breza have also joined. Rida Zouhir is back after a year on loan in the United States…

And two attacking players could be added to the group in the next few hours.

First, forward Mattias Coccaro, a Honduran who played in Argentina until recently, sounds like a guy who’s close to a deal with Montreal CF. So are his current bosses.

Coccaro is a 26-year-old right-handed forward measuring around 5’10 and worth around 5 million Euros according to Transfertmarkt. He knows how to score goals, but is better known for his grinta on the pitch, rather than his goal column in the league. Montreal CF would have the opportunity to acquire him for around $2-3 million. If it works out, he would be the replacement for Quioto, who has left for Iran.

But Coccaro wouldn’t be the only attacking player on the verge of joining the Montreal squad: according to a Bulgarian sports journalist, attacking midfielder Dominik Yankov has been sold to CF Montreal for around $2 million.

Yankov is a #10 born in the Toronto area 23 years ago. He came through the Sunderland AFC Academy and until recently played in the Bulgarian First Division.

If this transfer goes ahead, Yankov could be in a position to challenge Bryce Duke and Mathieu Choinière in midfield. If, of course, he manages to make a bigger impact than Ilyas Iliadis when he arrives in Montreal (or the southern U.S., to be more precise).

This isn’t the first time Yankov’s name has been linked to CF Montreal. I invite you to read this string of tweets about X to learn more about this spectacular young player.

If Courtois decides to stick with a three-center-back scheme – and the two rumors above are confirmed – Montreal CF could finally have some nice depth at each position.

Forward positions (2): Vilsaint, Coccaro, Opoku, Toye, Offor and Sunusi.

Note that Sunusi was not present at the opening of the team’s camp in Arizona earlier this week. There is currently some uncertainty surrounding his availability.

Attacking midfielders (1): Duke, Choinière and Yankov.

Central midfield position (1): Saliba and Zouhir.

Defensive midfield (1): Piette and Wanyama.

Full-backs (2): Edwards, Ruan, Lassiter and Lappalainen.

Center-back positions (3): Waterman, Corbo, Campbell, Sosa, Alvarez, Jabang.

Goalkeeper positions (1): Sirois and Breza.

I deliberately didn’t mention Ketterer, Thorkelsson, Iliadis.

Frankly, I’m much more optimistic than I was this time last year. The coach, the squad, the vibe around the team…

The team will train in Tucson until January 28, then train in Montreal until February 4, before heading to Florida to finish camp and open the season in Orlando on February 24.

Due to the closure of Stade Olympique (to evaluate options for a billion-dollar roof replacement) and the winter in full swing in Quebec in February and March, CF Montreal will open its home season on April 13 at Stade Saputo, after six games on the road.

Will you be vibrating to the rhythm of the CF Montréal next summer?


Extension

– The club announced yesterday that it had sold all available season tickets. We’re talking about 13,000 to 14,000 tickets. Bravo… and thanks to theMessi effect.

– Eight academicians are currently taking part in the first-team camp in Arizona. Alessandro Biello is perhaps the most interesting of them all. I’ve had the chance to watch him play on several occasions, and he’s always been able to control the midfield. Sebastien Joseph (U17) comes from my neck of the woods. My chums coached him and I’ve been watching him develop since he was 10 or 11. He’s got that wow factor that allows him to make the difference at any moment during a match. As for Jesse Saputo, he’s obviously the owner’s son. I’ve hardly ever seen him play, but I wonder if he’d be in the camp if his name was Jesse Manolo, say?

Well, maybe…

– Inter Miami has announced several preparatory games, the first of which tonight in El Salvador.

We’re still waiting for the list of CFM pre-season matches.

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