Dagur Dan Thórhallsson's shock sale leaves Orlando City supporters in two minds | OneFootball

Just as supporters were beginning to concede that, as usual, Orlando City's off-season was simply going through the motions, yesterday's barrage of bombshells threw everything out of the window.

I'll admit, when I first logged on to social media to be greeted with a post concerning Dagur Dan Thórhallsson, I just assumed that he'd been awarded a new contract.

But no. Instead, I was horrified to learn that the 25-year-old had been traded to Eastern Conference rivals CF Montréal, albeit in return for package potentially worth up to $625,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) if certain performance-based metrics are met.

“Dagur has been an incredible professional for us over the past three seasons,” said Ricardo Moreira on the club's official website. “His dedication to the team, ability to embrace our culture, and knack for bringing every group together made him a joy to have in our locker room. We’re grateful for everything he’s given to the club and wish him nothing but the best in this next chapter of his career.”

One the one hand, Thórhallsson's departure represents one of the most profitable domestic deals in Orlando's history. But the club's apparent off-season strategy certainly warrants a degree of scrutiny.

One down, another to go?

Yes, the meteoric rise of a certain homegrown right-back meant that Thórhallsson was reduced largely to a bit-part role last season, but that was all meant to change.

With just one year left on his current contract and some of Europe's biggest clubs circling, Orlando were - and still are - fully expected to cash in on Alex Freeman. In turn, Thórhallsson was all set to reassume his starting spot in defence.

It's not as if he ever really deserved to lose his spot in the first place, was it? Almost an ever-present as Orlando made it all the way to the Eastern Conference showpiece two seasons ago, he was one of the most athletic, attack-minded full-backs in Major League Soccer - until Freeman arrived, anyway.

Amid his teammate's stunning breakout season, there was little Thórhallsson could do. But it's not as if he sulked about it, either, instead finding a way to contribute four goals and an assist in just 1,334 minutes across all competitions.

If, as anticipated, Freeman follows his former colleague out of the door, then Orlando have left themselves a mountain of work to do this winter.

A stroke of genius?

It would be a pretty bold move to let your two seniormost right-backs depart within the very same window, so what if Thórhallsson's departure points to the unthinkable?

If Orlando somehow secure a new deal with Freeman, or at the very least negotiate a loan-back clause with whoever recruits him this winter, then we have the league's most talented right-back nailed down for the coming season.

Thirteen caps for his country, an All-Star call-up, and being recognised as the league's brightest young star, there isn't much more still to be said about the 21-year-old's stunning breakout year. But one thing that's still missing, as a starter at least, is a championship with his boyhood club.

It's probably a pipe dream, but I'm willing to give the club's off-season strategy the benefit of the doubt - for now.

One last roll of the dice

Whatever plays out in these coming weeks, one thing is crystal clear. Next season is monumental for Óscar Pareja.

Yes, his contract doesn't run out for another three years, but there's only so many failed roster rebuilds you can weather before fingers, that haven't done so already, begin to point to the one constant through it all.

The core of his team that has squandered so much promise in recent times is gradually disintegrating before our very eyes, almost as if Pareja is admitting, "Yeah, this hasn't worked out."

With a Moreira-led recruitment team seemingly bringing in young gems like Tiago and Luis Otávio, though, the future looks bright, and we can all dream of next year being the one to finally yield that second Major League Soccer-era title.

But if this gutsy roll of the dice goes up in flames, then we'll be saying our goodbyes to more than just playing staff this time next year.