Sebastian Giovinco to play full season with Toronto FC

Sebastian Giovinco will be joining Toronto FC early.

Giovinco was due to link up with his new club in July once his Juventus contract expired, but the Italian club confirmed Monday that the five-foot-four forward, known as the Atomic Ant, has ended his time in Turin on the final day of the transfer window.

"Now the doors of the MLS open up for him. He will face a new professional and personal adventure with the Toronto FC jersey," Juventus said in a statement. "From all of us our most sincere wishes for his new challenge."

Having Giovinco for a full season will add to an already hefty Toronto FC payroll, but should not impact the salary cap since only a small amount of his pay as a designated player counts against the cap. More importantly, it will allow Toronto to immediately plug the Italian star into the lineup and start building around him.

A spokesman for the MLS club said Giovinco is expected to arrive in Toronto later this week. The Italian player will likely join the team, currently training in Orlando, Fla., when it returns next week.

In getting Giovinco into camp next week, head coach Greg Vanney will have close to a month to work with him ahead of the March 7 season opener in Vancouver. And the player himself will have time to adjust to his new surroundings, on and off the pitch.

With Toronto facing seven straight road games to open the season due to stadium renovations, Giovinco's early arrival is "extremely helpful to getting off on the right foot," Toronto general manager TimBezbatchenko said Monday from Orlando, where the team is training.

"I'm very excited today," he added. "Especially because of the way it went about, it's really worked out to TFC's advantage."

Since announcing Giovinco's signing Jan. 19, Toronto has been low-key about the player's early arrival. Bezbatchenko denied any further negotiations with Juventus but with Giovinco not playing, there was plenty of speculation he would come earlier than expected.

Win-win

In the end it worked out for everyone. Juventus rid itself of an asset that was going anyway. Giovinco gets his MLS pay sooner than later and Toronto can start building around its offensive schemer.

Giovinco is expected to play in the hole behind newly acquired American international striker Jozy Altidore.

Bezbatchenko said the club is "still looking for one or two more pieces. We always are."

The club may look to add on the wing. It also has to unload Brazilian striker Gilberto, who is the odd man out in a designated player group that also includes Giovinco, midfielder Michael Bradley and striker Jozy Altidore.

Toronto has until March 1 to meet roster compliance, which means only three designated players.

Then it has to produce on the pitch after a 2-6-2 finish to the season under Vanney, who took over after Ryan Nelsen was fired Aug. 31.

Meanwhile, Juventus re-signed Alessandro Matri on loan Monday.

Matri spent two and a half seasons with Juventus, winning two league titles, before he was bought in 2013 by AC Milan, whose manager at the time was current Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.