CF Montreal coach on report of Choiniere trade request: 'Everyone wants him to stay'

MONTREAL — Laurent Courtois is aware of the report that Mathieu Choiniere wants out.

CF Montreal’s head coach, however, isn’t keen to coach a squad without the homegrown talent.

Choiniere — who broke out as the club's MVP last season — is a player Courtois leans on as much as anyone.

“Everyone loves Mathieu, everyone wants him to be valued, everyone wants him to stay here," Courtois said Friday. "Mathieu, everyone wants him here and to lift the club as high as possible, for as long as possible."

The Athletic reported Wednesday that Choiniere requested a trade from the Major League Soccer club — a shocking development considering the player joined the club’s academy in 2011. The demand reportedly came after talks of a contract extension died down following months of discussions with no resolution.

Choiniere is under contract through the end of the season and Montreal holds a club option for 2025. The central midfielder had a US$250,000 base salary last year and The Atheltic reports several teams are expected to try and acquire his services this summer.

Asked if he thought Choiniere actually wanted to leave or if the report was a negotiation tactic, Courtois said "I think you know the answer."

"There will be discussions between players and the club to improve their contractual situation everywhere, and it doesn't always need to be in the public eye,” Courtois said. “I don't know the accuracy of the rumour that came out. The club hasn't told me anything, Mathieu hasn't told me anything, and I talk to both of them every day.”

But Courtois repeatedly said he hoped to see Choiniere earn what he’s worth.

"He is clearly very, very important to me, to the club, and to the city,” he said. “If my guys are valued at their own worth, it means we're working well, and that’s what I hope for them."

Choiniere, a 25-year-old from Quebec City, made his professional debut in July 2018 and has compiled 126 appearances for Montreal.

Last year he produced five goals and five assists over 28 MLS games in a breakout campaign under head coach Hernan Losada. He’s continuing that strong play under Courtois in 2024, where he has started in all nine of Montreal’s games this season and produced three assists as a leader in the midfield.

"Since I've been here, he hasn't really even come off the pitch,” said winger Ariel Lassiter, who arrived in Montreal last season via trade.

Choiniere’s profile is also growing on the international stage.

The versatile midfielder, who also plays left back, played his first minutes for Canada's national team as a substitute in a 4-1 loss to Japan on Oct. 13, 2023. He received his third call-up to a national team camp in March and could feature on Canada’s roster at this summer’s Copa America.

"He's like a machine,” Montreal defender George Campbell said. “He plays 90 minutes almost every game and he can always go the distance and cover ground.

“Everyone loves playing with him. He's one of the most important players that we have."

Lassiter and Campbell said they didn’t know much about the situation but insisted the recent report hadn’t affected their relationship with Choiniere or the mood in the dressing room.

Playing for his fourth MLS club, Lassiter added that talks of player movement are simply part of professional soccer.

“Whatever his future holds, I hope it's for the best for him at the end of the day,” he said. “This business is like that, not every player gets to stay at one club for their entire career and that's pretty rare. But he's extremely important.”

Despite playing seven out of nine games on the road so far, CF Montreal (3-3-3) rank 10th in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand on most of their rivals under first-year coach Courtois.

Montreal plays Nashville SC (1-3-5) on the road Saturday — where Choiniere will likely make his 10th start of the season.

“I don't think he's the type of person that will change the way he carries himself on and off the field, especially towards the guys,” Lassiter said. “He'll still be 100 per cent professional in everything that he does."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2024.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press