TORONTO — Toronto FC general manager Jason Hernandez was busy during the MLS secondary transfer window. But much of the work has been about setting the table for future moves.
Ecuador international José Cifuentes, on loan from Glasgow Rangers, is the latest addition. More moves are expected in the off-season.
"We certainly have put ourselves in a position to make real change and to make big steps," said Hernandez.
In bringing in the 26-year-old Cifuentes, Toronto is offering the defensive midfielder a new start after a recent stop-and-start soccer journey. His loan agreement runs through June 30, 2026, with a purchase option.
Cifuentes helps fill the gap left by the recent sale of Honduran international Deybi Flores to Al-Najma SC of the Saudi Pro League. Plus, given he has a U.S. green card (as a permanent resident), the former Los Angeles FC player does not require an international slot.
In his 3 1/2 seasons with LAFC, Cifuentes recorded 15 goals and 20 assists through 121 appearances across all competitions. The Ecuadorian also helped LAFC to the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup in 2022.
"Cifu, for those who have followed MLS for the last five year know him very well (and) understand what he's been able to produce — the quality that he has, what he 's done with the league and internationally," said Hernandez. "We've had a front-row seat for all of that.
"So for us to have an opportunity to work with a player like that was a but of a no-brainer."
Hernandez said Flores, who was in the final year of his contract with Toronto, wanted the Saudi move which no doubt comes with a pay increase from the $656,665 (all figures in U.S. dollars) he was making with TFC.
The Cifuentes deal is the latest by Hernandez as he tries to turn Toronto around. TFC, which has not made the playoffs since 2020, sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, 16 points below the playoff line at 5-13-8.
In addition to Flores, Toronto has traded away wingback Tyrese Spicer (Orlando City) and midfielder Matty Longstaff (CF Montreal) while signing U.S. international attacker Djordje Mihailovic on a transfer worth up to $9 million from the Colorado Rapids and adding Canadian attacker Jules-Anthony Vilsaint in the Longstaff deal.
Later Friday, Toronto sent a 2025 international roster slot to the Chicago Fire in exchange for $100,000 in general allocation money. In recent weeks, Toronto has set the stage for future acquisitions by collecting up to $1.75 million in allocation money, which allows teams to 'buy down" salary cap charges.
"We have a lot of resources going into the off-season," said Hernandez.
That includes signing an attacking player as a designated player in the off-season and addressing "all of the team needs."
"We understand that we are not where we want to be. But we finally feel like we've done everything we've needed to do and to position ourselves to have some real success and some sustainable success and some repeatable success," Hernandez told reporters. "So everyone here feels really really good about that."
TFC, which is using all seven of its remaining international slots, has plenty of room to manoeuvre given it has 15 players on expiring contracts with all but one having club options.
Hernandez said South African forward Cassius Mailula, whose loan spell at Morocco's Wydad Athletic Club, will rejoin TFC.
Cifuentes joined Rangers in August 2023 from Los Angeles FC, signing a four-year deal with the Scottish club. Brought in by manager Michael Beale, who was fired two months later, the Ecuadorian failed to establish himself with Rangers, with loans spell at Brazil's Cruzeiro and Greece's Aris.
The midfielder joined Cruzeiro in February 2024, returning six months later when he was shipped to Aris on a season-long loan with an option to buy. The Greek club did not take up the option and Cifuentes returned to Rangers this summer.
Cifuentes made 20 appearances for Rangers across all competitions, with the Scottish Sun newspaper calling him "a virtual outcast" with the team.
Cifuentes cost Rangers a reported 1.2 million pounds (C$2.24 million). He had signed a pre-contract agreement to join the Scottish club after the 2023 MLS season, at the end of his LAFC contract, but ended up leaving mid-season after a transfer fee was agreed.
Cifuentes earned $411,750 in 2022, the last year he is listed on the MLS Players Association salary list.
He came to MLS in January 2020 from América de Quito on a deal using targeted allocation money.
Cifuentes, who made his senior international debut in a friendly against Peru in September 2019, has earned 21 caps for Ecuador including two games at the 2022 World Cup.
He is the fourth player on loan to TFC this season, joining Norwegian forward Ola Brynhildsen (FC Midtjylland, Denmark), Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu (Granada CF, Spain) and attacking midfielder Maxime Dominguez (Vasco da Gama, Brazil).
The five-foot-10, 154-pounder will wear No. 8 for Toronto, following in the footsteps of Victor Vasquez, Benoit Cheyrou, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Mark Delgado, Kyle Bekker and Longstaff.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
