Sebastian Giovinco was allegedly a January target for European champions Barcelona according to the player’s agent, who also confirmed his player would not go ‘on loan’ to another club during the off-season.
Giovinco has been the stand out player of the 2015 MLS season, winning the Golden Boot award with 22 goals and topping the assist charts on 13.
That kind of form had alerted the attention of Barcelona, who Andrea D’Amico, the playmaker’s agent, said ‘made contact’, when speaking to Rai Sport earlier in the week.
Italian reports indicated that Ariedo Braida, the man responsible for Barça’s international transfers, targeted a European return for Giovinco who’s currently in the middle of a two-year MLS contract.
However D’Amico later went on record to state his client would not be returning to Europe ‘on loan’, as a number of imported MLS stars have done in the past once the American championship concludes:
No. Absolutely not. Giovinco made a decision of which he’s absolutely convinced and with which he’s happy. Now they go on vacation and start preparations again at the end of January to get ready for the next season.
There was interest, but nothing too in-depth. It’s a little amazing that these kinds of teams didn’t get in touch with him before he went on his adventure in North America. But right now he’s concentrated on his decision.
The diminutive Number 10 led Toronto FC to the play-offs for the first time in their history, in his maiden MLS season, and at the age of 28, regularly outshone the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Kaka.
The Italian scored some of the most memorable, spectacular goals of any campaign, and when asked if his outstanding form would prompt a return to the European scene, with a hope of regaining a place back in the Azzurri squad ahead of the 2016 European Championships, the fantasista simply replied:
For now, my goal is to play here and perform well. As for the future, you never know.
Would the lure of playing for the reigning European champions be too much to ignore?
