How is the Vilsaint-Longstaff deal viewed in Montreal circles
Elias Grigoriadis of the Canadian Press talks to TFC Republic about the recent trade between Toronto FC and CF Montreal.
Toronto FC and CF Montreal teamed up earlier this month to pull off one of the more interesting trades of the MLS secondary transfer window.
Toronto sent midfielder Matty Longstaff to Montreal in exchange for forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint and up to $275,000 in general allocation money (GAM) – $225,000 in guaranteed 2025 GAM and an additional $50,000 in conditional 2026 GAM pending Longstaff’s roster status next season.
Longstaff, 25, was a regular starter and contributor for TFC in 2024 in his debut MLS campaign under former coach John Herdman. But this year he was limited to just 17 MLS games (11 starts, 906 minutes) under Robin Fraser as he became somewhat surplus to requirements.
Vilsaint, 22, showed flashes of brilliance since making his MLS debut in 2023. But he wasn't given many opportunities by Marco Donadel since he took over as Montreal's interim coach in March. The Montreal native scored in his debut for TFC on Aug. 16 in a 1-1 home draw vs the Columbus Crew.
Elias Grigoriadis is a soccer reporter for the Canadian Press who covers CF Montreal. In this one-on-one interview with TFC Republic, Grigoriadis discusses how the trade is viewed within Montreal circles, Vilsaint's time with the Quebec-based club, and much more.
