Toronto FC added some depth to its back line with the signing of veteran French-born Moroccan centre back Ahmed Kantari.
Kantari was in Toronto on Thursday to finalize contract talks with TFC and the MLS club made an official announcement on Friday afternoon. Terms of the deal were not released.
Kantari, 30, has played his entire pro career in France and has spent time at such clubs as Paris Saint-Germain, Strasbourg and Brest. Most recently, he’s played for Lens since 2013.
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Reports in France suggest that Kantari had a deal in place to join Dijon on a three-year deal but he backed out in favour of singing with Toronto.
What kind of player is TFC getting in Kantari? TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko heralded the defender as “an experienced and natural leader.”
“He is someone that possesses many attributes we like as a centre-back but also as a person. We feel he will be a great addition here at Toronto FC,” Bezbatchenko said in a news release.
French soccer reporter Andrew Gibney offered a different view, calling Kantari “an average player.”
Lens was relegated at the end of the 2014-15 Ligue 1 campaign (and Kantari played in 31 of 38 games) after finishing dead last and conceding 61 goals, tied for the fourth-worst defensive record in the French topflight.
“He’s strong and physical, but not very good. Lens were poor defensively last season and Kantari was at the heart of it. He’s never really excelled anywhere. Wouldn’t fancy him against the better, quicker teams,” Gibney told Sportsnet.
Kantari has earned 16 caps for Morocco since making his debut for the African nation in 2005. His most recent appearance came on June 15, 2013 during a 2-0 victory over Gambia in a World Cup qualification match. He is eligible to play for Morocco through his parents who were both born there.
TFC has been actively looking for defensive reinforcements for several months, but the need to bolster the back line became more pressing with the recent retirement of former captain Steven Caldwell, and the lingering injury issues of right fullback Mark Bloom.
This likely won’t be the only defensive move TFC will make before the summer transfer window closes. With Bloom still out with a lingering quad problem, look for the Reds to land another fullback.
Kantari joins a TFC side that includes two other Frenchmen in midfielder Benoit Cheyrou and fellow centre-back Damien Perquis, who plays internationally for Poland.
Kantari could make his debut for Toronto on Aug. 1 away to the New England Revolution.
Toronto FC also announced that Bloom underwent surgery Friday to repair the quadriceps tendon in his right leg.
Bloom will miss the remainder of the 2015 season, but he is expected to fully recover and be ready for the start of pre-season in January.
Bloom has been dogged by injuries all of this year, and hasn’t played a single minute for TFC.
