Toronto FC officially signs veteran Italian defender Domenico Criscito

Toronto FC filled another hole Wednesday, signing veteran Italian defender Domenico (Mimmo) Criscito.

The 35-year-old former Genoa captain, out of contract after last season, was signed through 2023 using targeted allocation money. That allows MLS teams to sign elite players and earn some salary cap relief without conferring designated player status.

Criscito joins fellow Italian Lorenzo Insigne, a former Napoli captain, in Toronto. And like Insigne, Criscito took months to finally land in Toronto.

Also Wednesday, Toronto acquired $50,000 US in general allocation money from Columbus in exchange for the homegrown priority rights to Jacen Russell-Rowe. The 19-year-old forward, a product of the Toronto FC academy, leads the MLS Next Pro League with 11 goals in 11 games for Columbus' reserve side Crew 2.

Like Insigne, Criscito is a native of Naples. But Genoa became his home — he met his wife and started a family there. Their children speak Italian, Russian and English.

TFC was left short at fullback this season after the departure of Brazil's Auro and Canadian Richie Laryea and retirement of Justin Morrow.

Bradley repurposed young Canadians Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Luca Petrasso, Kosi Thompson and Jacob Shaffelburg at fullback or wingback. Petrasso, 22, and Thompson, 19, have been the preferred pairing of late.

Landed in the 6ix