Six Possible MLS-To-CPL Signings (Part Two)

Last week we opened up with five possible MLS-To-CPL signings, and now we’re bringing six more to the table.

With the offseason in full swing, Canadian Premier League clubs have largely finalized who’s staying and who isn’t from their current rosters, with new athletes now coming into the equation. All six of the possible MLS-to-CPL signings below have suited up against clubs in Canada’s top flight before, and we think there’s a real chance they could join the league come 2025.

Let’s dive in:

Toronto FC – Matthew Catavolo

Former Valour FC midfielder Matthew Catavolo was picked up by Toronto FC two years ago after impressing in Canada’s top flight, but a return to CPL is looking more likely than ever.

Catavolo – who was once the top goalscorer at the CF Montreal U-23 level – tallied 36 appearances with TFC2, but found minutes hard to come by this year. Known for his fast feet and strong technical level, however, finding his feet back in CPL isn’t unwarranted.

With Valour, he had made 17 appearances before getting his chance in the MLS talent pipeline.

Don’t let this one slip you by, Valour!

Toronto FC – Adisa De Rosario

While the younger De Rosario brother was a starter for Toronto FC II this season, he enters the offseason as a free agent after tallying twenty appearances – but just two clean sheets – in 2024.

De Rosario has undergone two CPL loan spells, making one appearance for the Halifax Wanderers in 2022 and then enjoying a four-game loan spell with York United that saw him earn two wins and a draw highlighted by a huge one-on-one save against Joao Morelli.

At 20 years old, Adisa would be a great bet for a club in a developmental league: he’s a great quality for his age and has got a lot of runway in front of him to improve. There’ll be a few clubs shuffling goalkeepers, but it remains to be seen if Adisa De Rosario’s next opportunity will be north of the border as we could see him follow in his brother’s footsteps down south, too.

CF Montreal – Ilias Iliadis

This is a face that should already strike fear in Canadian Premier League goalkeepers: the man behind a near hat-trick of Olimpico goals is set for free agency. Having enjoyed two separate loans to Atletico Ottawa, Toronto native Ilias Iliadis clocks in as well-known figure for CPL clubs looking for talent.

The 23-year-old only tallied six league appearances during his time with CF Montreal, though the larger question could be whether the Toronto-born midfielder – who once trained in the Panathinaikos youth ranks – will want to stay on Canadian soil. If he does, we imagine he’ll have no shortage of offers league-wide.

Sporting Kansas City – Kamron Habibullah

Former Pacific loanee Kamron Habibullah had a truly stellar season with Sporting Kansas City II, but has fallen out of contract at the end of the season. The forward made sixteen goal contributions in 26 appearances, carving out two hat tricks throughout the season despite being moved to a more central – and sometimes defensive – midfield role.

He made sixteen appearances with Pacific while on loan from the ‘Caps two years ago, earning himself a Canada U-20 call-up in the process.

We’ve no doubt that Sporting Kansas City was happy with his performances in the MLS NEXT Pro ranks, but what Kamron wants to do next remains unclear: he’s at an age where he’ll want first team minutes. That’s something we feel he could certainly challenge for in the CPL, though a return to there depends on how his offers elsewhere land.

Toronto FC – Luke Singh

If you thought Luke Singh was already a CPL familiar, you’re not wrong: while the Trinidad and Tobago international spent the last three seasons in Canada’s top flight, all of them occurred while he was contracted to Toronto FC. The 24-year-old has now been loosed by his hometown team, clearing the way for a more permanent move.

Singh’s first steps into CPL came with an announced moved to Pacific eventually giving way to a loan with FC Edmonton instead. He was with the club through its final season before being sent on loan to Atletico Ottawa, where he would spend the next two years as a CPL athlete.

With the centre-back having now made 73 appearances for CPL clubs over the last three years, the big defender and his physicality are known qualities in the league. Now at a prime age for a defender, we expect there’ll be a few CPL teams seeing if the former TFC defender – who made his pro debut in the Concacaf Champions League – can join them for 2025.

Levonte Johnson

Vancouver Whitecaps winger Levonte Johnson is a tantalizing prospect for CPL clubs looking for a strong domestic addition: the last two seasons saw the Brampton baller rack up 46 appearances for the ‘Caps, adding four goals in knockout play during that time: one against Club Tijuana, one against York United, and two against Cavalry.

It’s actually thanks to the CPL that Levonte got his chance with the senior team, and that helped springboard the winger into more first team opportunities. Not bad for 29th-overall selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, eh? He’s shown he can produce against CPL sides, so which one wouldn’t want to recruit the 25-year-old?

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Truthfully, there are several more athletes we could add to this list, but we wanted to focus on some who we felt had a good chance of landing in Canada’s top flight. While anything can happen when it comes to player movement, we think all six of them would land well in the league.

Who’d you like to see see move between the leagues?