Toronto FC: Permanently securing Auro is a priority

With time running out on Auro’s loan with Toronto FC, locking the Brazilian to a permanent deal with the club must be a priority.

With a whole lot of nothing happening in the transfer market for Toronto FC, attention should be turned to the current squad. A consistent in-form player in Auro looks to be a fullback for the future, and the Reds need to take the necessary steps to securing him now before it’s too late.

Per Transfermarkt, the wing-back would be set to rejoin Sao Paulo at the end of the year. The loan would thus expire, and Toronto FC would lose the best chance to sign one of their best squad members from this season.

It’s not worth the risk, especially since sources such as WhoScored rank Auro as the third-best overall match rating score on Toronto FC at the moment. The 22-year-old is averaging a match rating of 7.00 which is just points behind Jonathan Osorio and Sebastian Giovinco.

Auro’s statistics back up the sublime rating in each fixture. In 14 MLS appearances with just over 1,000 minutes, the fullback has provided three assists and two tackles per fixture, with an 82.8 percent pass success rate out of a cool average of 50 passes in each contest.

That’s not to mention that the Brazilian plays a huge part in TFC’s heat map, which suggests he is found making contributions all over the pitch. His passing, dribbling and pace all play a huge part in forming TFC’s biggest prospect right now.

Major trust was put in Auro by manager Greg Vanney, from the moment the defender stepped foot in Toronto. This trust involves starts in MLS, the Champions League and Canadian Championship. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Auro feature in the Campeones Cup, either.

It’s known that Vanney enjoys to mimic a formation similar to ex-Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, where wing-backs play a heavy role in moving the ball forward. When Auro signed with TFC, Vanney noted from the start that the young prospect would fit right into his mold, as reported at the time by the Toronto Sun:

"“He’s flying up and down the sideline,” Vanney said of Auro. “He’s very technical with a wonderful ability with his feet. His precision on crosses is impressive. It gives us another option.“Standing 5-foot-6 – a fraction taller than Sebastian Giovinco – Auro is ‘Dani Alves-like’.”“It’s a position in this league where teams don’t spend a lot of money,” Vanney said. “But we rely so heavily on our outside backs that, for us, it makes a lot of sense.”"

Auro is only making the bond between him and his manager that much stronger in each fixture; evolving it to be the strongest case for a permanent deal for the defender.