Toronto FC left a lot of its transfer business until late in the window, signing four players in the past two weeks to bolster a squad that’s seen as much turnover as anyone else in MLS heading into 2026.

Josh Sargent, Dániel Sallói, Emilio Aristizábal and Raheem Edwards join a team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and get back to the heights of the championship-winning teams of the late 2010s.

But how will these players make an impact in Toronto? Here's a breakdown of how TFC’s new signings will fit into the squad.

Josh Sargent

The U.S. men’s national team striker does not come cheap, with the club’s newest designated player costing a reported US$22 million (which could rise to $27 million with add-ons) fee from Norwich City of the English Championship, which would automatically make him a top-three most expensive acquisition in MLS history, and more than doubling TFC’s previous record.

With the big price tag comes big expectations. Sargent has been a consistent force for Norwich, scoring at a rate of a goal every 186 minutes across the past three and a half seasons. He also ranks highly in expected goals per 90 minutes, demonstrating an ability to find and convert chances at a reliable rate.

In general, the O’Fallon, Mo., native is a strong all-around striker as well. He ranks consistently in the 75th or higher percentile range for assists per 90, expected assists per 90 and successful dribbles per 90. In general, he’s been able to be a striker who is involved in the play at a level more than just a poacher.

The question comes down to how well this effectiveness scales up to his price tag. Emmanuel Latte Lath, purchased by Atlanta United from the Championship for a similar fee last January, has struggled to live up to his billing in MLS, scoring just seven goals in around 2,200 minutes in his debut season in the league.

Now, Sargent has a longer track record of scoring goals and a much better profile as more than just a pure goal scorer, but Latte Lath's struggles are a reason for a bit of concern. 

The 6-foot-1 striker should be expected to be the focal point of the team’s attack, with his ability and movement opening up spaces and opportunities for playmakers like Djordje Mihailovic and Theo Corbeanu to create dangerous offensive chances.

Sargent is the first DP centre forward Toronto has had on its books since Jozy Altidore’s departure, and he’ll look to match the goal-scoring and championship-winning success his former USMNT teammate had in Toronto.

Dániel Sallói

Sallói arrives from Sporting Kansas City, the club he spent the past 10 seasons with, in a trade for $300k in GAM with another $700k GAM as potential add-ons in the deal. The four-time capped Hungary international appeared 287 times in his SKC career, scoring 68 goals.

The 2025 campaign saw him score seven goals and record three assists on a frankly bad Kansas City side, but his peaks have seen him convert 16 times in 2021 and 2018.

At his best, Sallói is deployed as an off-ball, goalscoring left winger who plays more in the half spaces than a pure winger, and comes inside to be a secondary goal scorer.

Statistically, he stacks up pretty well in most goal-scoring and shooting stats in comparison to other wingers, and is also typically very strong at finding touches in the opposition’s 18-yard box.

He’s not much of a playmaker through passing or ball progression, and his value is really found in getting on the ball in good areas and finishing.

This profile fits well on the left for Toronto, as it complements the skill sets of either Theo Corbeanu or Malik Henry on the right as dribblers and wider playmakers. 

He should also pull some off-ball gravity away from Mihailovic as a dangerous scoring option, which, in theory, will give the number 10 more time and space to create chances for both Sallói and Sargent.

Sallói earned $1.3 million in salary last season, placing him firmly in the TAM range. It may not be the most efficient deal on the roster, but it expires after 2026, and he brings a much-needed goal threat from the left wing to a Toronto side that finished tied for 27th in MLS for goals scored in 2025.

Emilio Aristizábal

The U22 initiative signing arrives on loan with a buy option from Fortaleza FC of the Colombian top flight, with Aristizábal scoring 12 goals in about 2,500 minutes in the 2025 campaign, as well as featuring for his native Colombia at the U20 World Cup.

While there isn’t as much game film available for him, his profile looks intriguing as a 20-year-old, 6-foot-2 striker who ranks pretty decently in terms of dribbling and aerial duelling. 

He had a 13-minute cameo against FC Dallas on Saturday for his MLS debut, and failed to really get into the game, but it looks like an interesting project for the year, and potentially longer, as a dynamic striker option.

What his signing does open up is the question of more two-striker formations under Robin Fraser in 2026. Between Sargent, Aristizábal, DeAndre Kerr and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, the Reds have four natural options up top.

While Fraser has set the team up in a standard 4-2-3-1 for the majority of his time in Toronto, the influx of centre-forward options opens up the possibility of new ways to set up the group.

Raheem Edwards

Edwards was claimed off waivers after he was deemed excess parts at Red Bull New York, as the former TFC academy product returns to his hometown side for the first time since departing after the 2017 season.

Now, he’s an MLS veteran who’s bounced around to six other stops in his career — including two separate stints with Montréal — and has found a home as a backup attack-minded left back.

This will be the role he fills with Toronto, likely serving as the backup to Matheus Pereira, and giving the Reds some more depth in the back line. He’ll be pretty cheap against the cap and comes in as a Canadian domestic player, so it’s a great low-risk signing that fills a need.

While ideally the majority of these signings would have been completed before training camp — giving new arrivals time to get up to speed with Fraser's systems, build chemistry with teammates, and settle into life in a new city — addressing the attack was a pressing need for Jason Hernandez and the rest of TFC's front office.

While they really had to pay up for Sargent, his pedigree and ability should raise the floor and ceiling of this group for not just 2026 but the rest of the decade, and it's now up to the group's play on the pitch to prove whether they can get back to what they desire, winning trophies.