Toronto FC signs forward Jesus Jimenez but source says Giovinco, Auro exit club

Jimenez spent the last four seasons in Poland with Gornik Zabrze, scoring 43 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions for Gornik, including Europa League play.

“Jesus is a skilful attacker who has a combination of excellent movement and dribbling,” Bob Bradley, Toronto’s head coach and sporting director, said in a statement. “He scores goals and creates chances for teammates. We are looking forward to having him join our team in training camp as we prepare for the season.”

A native of Leganes, Jimenez made 134 appearances and scored 43 goals in all competitions in four seasons with Gornik, including Europa League play.

Toronto needs help up front with Venezuelan international Yeferson Soteldo having departed for Mexico’s Tigres UANL and fellow designated player Jozy Altidore expected to be bought out.

TFC has attacking talent on its roster but it is young in the form of Ayo Akinola, Ifunanyachi Achara, Jordan Perruzza, Deandre Kerr, Jayden Nelson, Jahkeele Mashall-Rutty, Jacob Shaffelburg and 2022 draft pick Reshaun Walkes.

Italian star Lorenzo Insigne has signed but won’t be in Toronto until July when his contract with Napoli expires.

Toronto turned heads in late January with news that Giovinco was back training with the team, albeit without a contract.

Club president Bill Manning said the 35-year-old wanted to end his career with Toronto and that money would not be an issue, although he cautioned that the club and Giovinco had to decide whether a reunion was a good fit.

The Italian star left in early 2019 when Toronto, unwilling to meet his contract demands, sold him to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal FC. At the time, Giovinco was the highest-earner in MLS with a salary of US$7.1 million.

Giovinco, who maintained a residence in Toronto, quit the Saudi club last August by mutual agreement and had made no secret of his desire to rejoin TFC.

In December 2020, the diminutive forward known as the Atomic Ant was named to the league’s list of 25 greatest players, alongside the likes of David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and Canadian Dwayne De Rosario.

In four seasons with Toronto, Giovinco had 68 goals and 52 assists in 114 regular-season games (111 starts).

He won MVP honours in his debut 2015 season, when he was directly involved in 65 per cent of Toronto’s 58 goals with 22 goals and 16 assists. In all competitions, he had 83 goals and 64 assists in 142 appearances.

The 26-year-old Auro, a former Brazil youth international, spent the last four seasons with Toronto. Listed at five-foot-six and 137 pounds, the compact Brazilian — whose full name is Auro Alvaro da Cruz Junior — can play fullback, wingback or midfielder.

Auro, whose full name is Auro Alvaro da Cruz Junior, appeared in 25 of TFC’s 34 league games last season, starting in 23. In 2018, then-coach Greg Vanney called the Brazilian “just a warrior. He shows up every single day. Loves to play soccer, gives us everything he has.”

In Brazil, he joined Sao Paulo FC’s academy at age 13, moving up the club ranks with loan spells at Clube Atletico Linense (2016) and America Futebol Clube (2017) before joining TFC on a loan that eventually became a permanent move.

Auro becomes the 16th player from last year’s first team roster to depart, as Bradley looks to rebuild a squad that went 6-18-10 last season while finishing 26th out of 27 teams.

Jimenez is the eighth new face to sign with Toronto in the off-season, along with Insigne, Kerr, goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh and defenders Carlos Salcedo, Luca Petrasso, Shane O’Neill and Lukas MacNaughton.

The 28-year-old Jimenez started with CD Leganes’ academy before playing for AD Union Adarve (2013-14), AD Alcorcon B (2014-15) and Atletico Pinto (2015) in the Spanish lower leagues.

The six-foot, 176-pounder moved to CD Illescas (2015-16) and CF Talavera de la Reina (2016-18), where his play won him the contract in Poland in 2018.

Jimenez scored 26 league goals in 33 matches for Talavera in the 2016-17 season, helping the club win promotion to the Spanish second-tier. Jimenez scored 36 goals in 68 appearances across all competitions in his two seasons with Talavera.

Toronto was scheduled to fly to Austin on Monday to continue its training camp ahead of the Feb. 26 season opener at FC Dallas. The club held the first portion of camp in California before flying back to Toronto for a few days.

Toronto FC signs forward Jesus Jimenez but source says Giovinco, Auro exit club

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