By Canadian Press

Toronto FC says reported China interest in Giovinco has not produced concrete offer

Feb 1, 2017 | 11:30 AM

Toronto FC says there has been no formal transfer bid for Sebastian Giovinco, reiterating it has no interest in selling its star Italian striker.

Giovinco’s agent made headlines recently in citing “an important offer” from the deep-pocketed Chinese Super League. But that has not yet translated into anything concrete.

While MLS and Chinese Super League teams have until the end of February to transfer players, Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko made it clear he is not looking to sell the Atomic Ant.

“We’re a club that wants to be contending for championships each year,” Bezbatchenko told a media conference call Wednesday. “It’s not about money or about buying low, selling high. We want to partake in the import and export of players, for sure, but we’re not a selling club. We want to be at the top of MLS in every category.

“Obviously Seba is one of the best players, if not the best in MLS, so we’re not looking to sell him or put a price-tag on him.”

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Bezbatchenko said he had talked to Giovinco about the recent spending spree in China as its league looks to up its profile by signing marquee names. Shanghai Shenhua, for example, is paying Argentine striker Carlos Tevez US$40 million over two years, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

“We joked around about Tevez and about (Brazilian midfielder) Oscar and these fees and how crazy they were,” said Bezbatchenko. “We just talked about how that’s a lot of money and how the game is changing around the world because of what’s happening in China.”

Chelsea reportedly sold Oscar to Shanghai SIPG for 60 million euros (US$64.6 million).

Other prominent players headed to China include Brazilians Hulk, Ramires, Paulinho and Alexandre Pato as well as Colombia’s Jackson Martinez and Argentina’s Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Bezbatchenko said the effects of the Chinese spending spree will be limited by the restrictions on the number of imports in the league.

Giovinco is doing all right for himself in this hemisphere. The 30-year-old made US$7.115 million last season, second only in MLS to Orlando’s Kaka (US$7.167 million) and has three years left on his Toronto contact plus an option year.

Also Wednesday, Toronto confirmed it had re-signed veteran French midfielder Benoit Cheyrou, who scored the go-head goal in overtime in the second leg of TFC’s dramatic Eastern Conference championship win over Montreal. The deal is one year plus an option.

The 35-year-old Cheyrou is seen as a reliable on-field deputy for captain Michael Bradley when needed. Off the field, he is a valuable mentor to the club’s younger talent. As such, he is expected to stay with the franchise when his playing days are over.

Toronto added depth to its backline Tuesday when it signed French-born Congolese defender Chris Mavinga after he was released from his contract by Russia’s Rubin Kazan.

“He’s entering his prime, he has the athleticism to do well in our league …. he’s a quality defender one-on-one,” said Bezbatchenko, who said the team sees Mavinga more as a centre back than left fullback.

The GM sidestepped a question on the 25-year-old Mavinga’s past, which included a suspension from the French federation for leaving an under-21 camp with several teammates to go to a nightclub without permission before a crucial European qualifying game in 2012.

Bezbatchenko said another signing could come next week. That would likely be an attacking midfielder, someone who can score or engineer a goal.

After Giovinco’s 17 goals and Jozy Altidore’s 10, the leading scorer on the team last season was fullback Justin Morrow who had five goals. No midfielder scored more than two goals.

The team is also looking for some cover for Steven Beitashour at right back.

Bezbatchenko said the team currently has 24 players signed, including 17 on its senior roster. Under MLS rules, teams can carry as many as 20 or as few as 18 on the senior part of the 28-man overall roster.

He indicated he expects to go with 18 senior players. There are four or five slots open in the supplemental part of the roster that will likely be held for Toronto FC 2 players.

The team is currently training in California.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press