TORONTO — With six games remaining in the regular season and Toronto FC sitting 15 points below the MLS playoff line, GM Jason Hernandez continues to clear the decks.
Toronto announced Tuesday it was parting ways with Ola Brynhildsen, with the forward headed back to his native Norway to join Bodø/Glimt on loan.
The 26-year-old arrived in February from Denmark's FC Midtjylland on a year-long loan with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the current season. Short on game fitness when he arrived, the Norwegian's progress was further hampered by a string of minor injuries.
Brynhildsen leaves with two goals and one assist in 21 regular-season appearances for TFC — a modest return for a 2025 salary listed at $1,629,610 (all figures in U.S. dollars) by the MLS Players Association.
A healthier Brynhildsen lacked service, however, as Toronto struggled with its identity with Italian stars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, whose contracts were bought out in July.
While Toronto has shored up its defence under new coach Robin Fraser, offence remains a problem. Toronto (5-13-10) has 28 goals in 28 games this season, tied for 28th in scoring in the 30-team league.
TFC will look to give 22-year-old Canadians Deandre Kerr and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint their chance to impress in the remaining games of the season.
Brynhildsen was brought in after a search to find a replacement for Prince Owusu, who led the team last season with nine goals but was not retained by the club. The German forward, who made $807,500 in 2024, is now Montreal's leading goal-scorer with 12 (at a salary of $982,500).
Hernandez acknowledged that Brynhildsen "for different reasons didn't catch on in the way that he had hoped or we had hoped."
"I think we were all pretty clear that certainly at the end of the season, we were going to go in a different direction," he added.
The team decided "to accelerate that decision with the understanding that we believe both Deandre and Jules, for what they've shown, have maybe earned the right to compete for more minutes — and the lion's share of the minutes for the remainder of the season — to see what they can bring to the table on a consistent basis," Hernandez added.
Hernandez previously said bringing in an attacking designated player is the team's top priority in the off-season.
"Certainly we're going to be looking to get a player that has a history and a track record of double-digit goals," said Hernandez. "We're going to be looking to get a player that is motivated and excited to be here in Toronto. And a player that's not going to shy away from the work that it's going to take and the responsibility that's going to come with being the main goal-scorer for Toronto FC."
In addition to the Italians, Toronto has already shipped out English midfielder Matty Longstaff, Trinidad and Tobago wingback Tyrese Spicer and Honduran midfielder Deybi Flores. And there will be others out the door with more than a dozen players on expiring contracts.
Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu, on a season-long loan from Spain's Granada CF, leads TFC with five goals.
Kerr, who made his 100th appearance for the club across all competitions in Saturday's 1-1 draw with visiting CF Montreal, has three goals in limited action this season. While he has made 16 league appearances, only five were starts.
Vilsaint, acquired in the Aug. 13 trade with Montreal involving Longstaff, has impressed in his two substitute appearances for Toronto to date with one goal already.
Young forwards Hugo Mbongue and Charlie Sharp are out on loan.
More responsibility will also likely fall on playmaker Djordje Mihailovic, who joined Toronto as a designated player in early August in a transfer worth up to $9 million from the Colorado Rapids.
Brynhildsen, a feisty five-foot-nine and 154 pounds, liked to play on defenders' shoulders and proved to be deceptively strong. But goals were hard to come by.
In May, he acknowledged it had been a slow landing in Toronto.
"I'm still getting in top shape," Brynhildsen said. "At least my body is starting to work normally now. It's been a rough couple of months. Being mostly on painkillers each game. Minor setbacks every other game."
Asked what the problem has been, Brynhildsen cited groin, knee and back problems.
"Some I've played with. Some, I took painkillers for. But now my body is starting to feel normal again."
Toronto landed Brynhildsen after failing to secure Uzbekistan captain Eldor Shomurodov from AS Roma.
---
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
