McNab Refutes Rollins Claim: ‘Absolute Nonsense’

One of the biggest Canadian Premier League headlines this week was undoubtedly the intra-league transfer of Cavalry’s Dominick Zator to York United, with the club announcing a short-term loan to Sweden the following day.

Earlier today, prominent Canadian soccer personality Duane Rollins sparked some controversy on Twitter when he alleged that on-loan CPL athletes like Dominick Zator and Keven Aleman were using their new CPL contracts as insurance if a permanent move elsewhere doesn’t come to fruition, stating that their actual intent was to secure a move elsewhere before the 2021 CPL season kicks off.

Doubling down on the statement, he directly referred to Zator’s signing as a ‘paper move’, claiming that there is little expectation he will ever suit up for York United before being transferred elsewhere.

When asked about the matter, York United Club President Angus McNab didn’t mince words, calling the tweet a garbage claim:

The chat about Zator being signed and that he’ll never play for the club is absolute nonsense. You sign players who you think will improve your football team. Dom is a great player, and we are sure people will see that in Sweden, but the move is to get him football and then return to us in top form.

Angus McNab

The Canadian Premier League has seen nine players undergo loans this offseason, with three from York United, two from FC Edmonton, and one apiece from Cavalry, Atletico Ottawa, Pacific, and Valour. Beyond Zator, York United’s on-loan contingent includes Michael Petrasso (Barnet) and Nicholas Hamilton (Dundee FC).

McNab doesn’t believe that it would make good business sense for CPL sides to sign players to contracts in the hopes of a quick turnaround after their on-loan showing, especially with COVID-19 making international moves more difficult.

The current Canadian Premier League transfer window had lower deal volume than ever before, so if you sign this way you are setting yourself up for failure.

Angus McNab

While the inaugural Canadian Premier League season resulted in overeas transfer moves for the likes of Tristan Borges, Tyler Attardo, and Emilio Estevez, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly shown less international interest for domestic talent in the current window.

On Twitter, Rollins doubled down on his stance about disingenuous loans, stating that time will tell who is ultimately correct and that clubs owe it to their fans to be honest. He then followed it up with a comment on a league tweet:

McNab’s rebuttal marks the second time a Canadian Premier League figure has shot down online speculation this week, with Alan Koch having commented on a CPL Transfers tweet earlier this week to call a signing rumour false.

While it remains to be seen what ultimately unfolds, York United has made its stance on the loan quite clear: Zator is expected to suit up for the Nine Stripes after his stint in Sweden, having signed a two-year deal earlier this week.