Could Jonas Elmer be the answer to Toronto FC’s longstanding problem at the left fullback position?
The Reds seem to think so, as they inked the Swiss defender to a contract on Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Elmer, a 25-year-old native of Zurich, will be added to the team roster upon completion of his international paperwork, and could be available to play in TFC’s road game against the New England Revolution on Sunday.
"We believe Jonas will be an important part of our club. While he’s still young he has solid European experience and we’re pleased to welcome him to Toronto," club president and general manager Kevin Payne said in a new release.
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Elmer most recently played for FC Winterthur in the Swiss second division, making 21 league appearances.
Elmer spent time with the youth sides of Grasshopper Club Zürich and Chelsea, where he also played regularly for the Blues’ reserve team for two years.
He signed for FC Aarau in 2007 and played in 81 games over three seasons, before joining fellow Swiss club FC Sion in 2010. Elmer made 23 appearances for Sion, who later sent him out on loan in 2012 with AC Bellinzona in the second division.
He then moved on to FC Winterthur midway through the 2012-13 season.
TFC’s signing of Elmer could spell bad news for Canadian Ashtone Morgan, the club’s regular starting left-back.
Morgan, a 22-year-old native on Toronto, has floated in and out of the line-up this season — he’s played in 10 of TFC’s 21 league games — his poor form and defensive liabilities seeing him fall down the depth chart.
With Morgan failing to live up to expectations, the left side has been a major problem area for coach Ryan Nelsen, who has tried out a number of players in the position. At one point, Nelsen shifted former captain Darren O’Dea from central defence to the left in place of the ineffective Morgan.
But O’Dea parted ways with TFC in mid-July when he joined Ukrainian club Metalurh Donetsk, leaving Nelsen with a gaping hole to fill on his back line. Elmer could be the solution.
News of Elmer’s arrival in Toronto was reported earlier this week by Der Landbote, a Swiss daily newspaper.
"It looks like there could be something, maybe tomorrow to tell you the truth," Nelsen told reporters following TFC’s training session on Tuesday. "I’m holding my breath. I’ve been holding my breath for a few weeks now."
When asked specifically about Elmer, Nelsen coyly deferred.
"Geez, that would be a good (signing). What’s he like?" Nelsen quipped. "I think he’s a pretty decent player actually. So that would be good if a player like that comes in. But we’ll see. I don’t know, I’ll have to read those reports from Switzerland and get back to you."
Elmer has earned eight caps for Switzerland at the under-21 level.
