Toronto FC: The case for and against Jonathan Osorio loan deal

Deportivo Independiente Medellin have reportedly made a request for Jonathan Osorio, but should Toronto FC let the midfielder go on loan?

Toronto FC‘s season might be over, but interest in the team is still there. Especially Jonathan Osorio.

As reported by Sportsnet’s John Molinaro, Deportivo Independiente Medellin have made a formal request to TFC, to take Osorio on loan. The loan deal would last for around six months.

The interest by the Columbian Club is unsurprising, when considering their manager. Octavio Zambrano previously coached Osorio at international level, when he was in charge of Canada.

From the midfielder’s perspective, there is the potential attraction of spending time experiencing everyday life in Columbia. Even though he was born in Toronto, both of his parents are Columbian.

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As per Molinaro, Zambrano also contacted Osorio and his agent directly. And according to the former L.A. Galaxy coach, both have genuine interest in a possible loan deal.

The question is, would it be a good idea for the 26-year-old to actually make such a move? He recently admitted the Reds have played a lot of games during the last three years.

In this respect, surely Osorio he should take advantage of this opportunity to have an extended break, especially as he continues his recovery from sports hernia surgery? With Independiente Medellín in the midst of their season, you have to wonder how soon would they want the player to join them?

As per Anthony Lopopolo of the Score, Independiente Medellin would like Osorio to join them prior to March. This way, he would be at the club for the start of the Copa Libertadores, which is the South American version of the Champions League.

Certainly, the experience would be an invaluable one for the youngster, playing in a league ranked sixth-best in the world. He would theoretically come back a better and more well-rounded player.

And yet, you still can’t help wondering about the physical toll the loan would take on Osorio. If Toronto FC are to recover from a disastrous 2018, they need to rely more on their best players; and make no mistake about it, Osorio is one of those players.

This much become ever more clear, when TFC signed the Canadian international to a long-term contract extension back in August. While the details were never officially released, Molinaro reported the new deal was worth more than MLS’ maximum salary cap hit of US$504,375, thanks to the use of targeted allocation money.

There was no denying Osorio deserved the new contract, especially as he proved to be one of the few players to shine in a disappointing campaign for TFC. He had his best year to date, as he finished with 17 goals and eight assists in all competitions (including 10 goals and seven assists in MLS) and took his overall game to another level.

Taking everything into account, it really is touch and go whether it’s in Toronto’s best interest, to allow Osorio to go out on loan. You imagine it will be an extremely difficult decision for general manager Tim Bezbatchenko to make, but either way, we should have some sort of answer in the coming days.

What would you do if you were in Toronto FC’s position? Would you let Osorio go on loan or not, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.