Cyle Larin is leaving Feyenoord... We couldn't, could we?

One Kyle out, another Cyle in?

That's certainly what I'm dreaming of after hearing the news that Cyle Larin will be made available for transfer once again this winter.

As Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday, our former bagsman is set to return to parent club RCD Mallorca having struggled for minutes this season on loan at Feyenoord, before heading out temporarily again in search of regular game ahead of this summer's FIFA World Cup with his native Canada.

Of course, the chances of Orlando City being one of the four clubs that are said to be interested in securing the 30-year-old's services are presumably quite low. But one thing is clear: this move, however much a pipe dream it may seem at present, would make a great deal of sense for all involved.

Back in the spotlight

On the one hand, there's very little chance Larin misses out on Jesse Marsch's 26-man (or maybe even 30-man) squad this summer, so long as he remains fit. He could very easily endure another fruitless European loan spell and still make the cut.

But thanks to Jonathan David's stellar returns across Europe over the past few seasons, his days of being Canada's only threat up top are long since over. His minutes this summer will entirely depend on how successful his next move is, and he can't afford to get this one wrong.

Yes, Larin featured in all three of Canada's group games in Qatar and may well get another opportunity to do so in four years' time, but this one is different. Playing right in front of your home fans in the world's biggest tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and one he'll surely want to make the most of.

Where better to affirm your credentials as a starter than right under your boss' nose in Major League Soccer?

Not some hollow romantic return

We all know how lethal Larin was during his three seasons with Orlando. His record-breaking tally of 44 goals in just 89 appearances (during our lengthy 'banter era', I should add) has only been surpassed in the near-decade since by Facundo Torres, who needed some 30 games more to do so.

And it's not as if he's struggled to make a name for himself in Europe since departing in 2018, either. Fruitless spells at Feyenoord and Club Brugge pale into insignificance compared to prolific loans at Zulte Waregem and Real Valladolid as well as his trophy-laden four-and-a-half-year stay in Turkey, which earned him a permanent move to La Liga.

Of course, there's good reason to be wary. We all remember Dom Dwyer's long-awaited return to Central Florida in 2017, which didn't exactly go to plan. Plus, there's Larin's pretty poor disciplinary record, which came to sour his otherwise stellar stint here.

But I trust that he's matured during his eight years away from North America. And, after a miserable end to 2025, we could all do with a little romance.

We are desperate

Almost unbelievably, Duncan McGuire now stands alone as Orlando's sole striker heading into the new season, following Ramiro Enrique's shock sale to Saudi Arabia back in September and Luis Muriel's much-anticipated return to Colombia earlier this month.

We all know that McGuire is an accomplished player at this level, and he deserves time to try and rediscover the sort of form that saw him bag 15 goals straight out of college during his rookie season.

But he can't do it all by himself, especially since he hasn't enjoyed anything close to regular minutes since then thanks to Muriel's astronomical wage, if nothing else, reducing the 24-year-old to a bit-part role, as well as two successive long-term shoulder injuries.

On a six-month loan deal, Larin would be perfect. He'd guarantee you goals, taking the bulk of the pressure off McGuire to rediscover his best form immediately.