Toronto FC has signed Dutch international defender Gregory van der Wiel from Italy's Cagliari.
The 29-year-old fills a void on the right side left by the free-agent departure of Steven Beitashour to Los Angeles FC, although Toronto does have Liechtenstein international Nico Hasler. Toronto also lost wingback Raheem Edwards, now with Montreal, during the off-season.
Van der Wiel has earned 46 caps for the Netherlands, starting for the Dutch team that finished runner-up to Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also part of the Dutch Euro 2012 squad.
Van der Wiel was acquired with targeted allocated money, funds designed to help MLS teams acquire or reduce the salary cap hit of elite players.
The Dutch defender excelled at Ajax and Paris Saint-Germain, but has seen limited action since moving to Turkey's Fenerbahce in 2016 and Cagliari in 2017.
