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Toronto FC has signed Norwegian defender Sigurd Rosted from Danish club Brøndby IF using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to a three-year deal with an option for 2026.
There have been reports out of Europe for weeks that Rosted was being courted by TFC and the Reds front office told the Toronto Sun on Monday that the paperwork to bring Rosted to Toronto was almost complete.
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“Sigurd is an experienced centre-back who has shown his leadership and intelligence while playing at a high level in a strong European league,” said TFC Head Coach and Sporting Director Bob Bradley. “We are very excited to add Sigurd to our group as we know he is excited for this new challenge and to represent our club.”
Rosted is the second key addition to the TFC centre back corp after the Reds signed former MLS Defender of the Year Matt Hedges earlier in the off-season. TFC also brought in two new goalkeepers to the squad during the off-season – 2022 MLS All-Star Sean Johnson and former LAFC keeper Tomas Romero. The Reds allowed 66 goals against in 34 league games last season – the third-most in MLS, and missed the playoffs for the second season in a row. The front office vowed changes in the off-season and has lived up to that promise.
As well as Rosted, TFC has signed Norwegian forward Adama Diomande, Hedges, Johnson, Romero, brought back midfielder Victor Vazquez, re-signed midfielder Jonathan Osorio and acquired left-back Raoul Petretta from the Turkish Süper Lig club Kasımpasa. TFC can still sign a quality player using its third Designated Player spot, though GM Bill Manning said whomever the Reds bring in with the third DP allocation won’t likely be a major international signing, such as Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi – possibly a younger DP signing.
Rosted, 28, arrives in Toronto after spending the past four seasons with Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga, where he made 101 appearances and scored five goals across all competitions. With Brøndby, the centre-back featured in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League action and won the 2020-2021 Danish Superliga title.
Prior to his time in Denmark, Rosted spent three seasons (2017-2020) with Belgian club K.A.A. Gent and three seasons (2015-2017) with Sarpsborg 08 (First Division, Norway), where he made a combined 107 appearances and scored 13 goals across all competitions for the two top-flight European clubs. A native of Oslo, Norway, Rosted began his professional career with Kjelsås (Second Division, Norway) where he made his debut in May 2012 at the age of 17, before scoring nine goals in 75 appearances across three seasons (2012-2014).
Internationally, Rosted has earned five caps and scored one goal for the Norwegian National Team. He made his debut and scored the game-winner in a friendly against Albania on March 26, 2018, and has since represented his country four times in UEFA Nations League action. He also represented his country at the U-21 level in 2016.
TFC is currently at pre-season camp in southern California and will play four games at the Coachella Valley Invitational near Palm Springs this month starting on Wednesday afternoon against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
– Steve Buffery