Sometimes, a player moving to a new team just doesn’t work out. There could be many reasons why a new club isn’t a good fit for a footballer, and it appears that’s the case with Canadian winger Tajon Buchanan at Inter Milan. And with Canada competing for two trophies in the 2025 international calendar, what Buchanan and Inter decide to do about his future will also be key for Jesse Marsch and his plans for the men’s national team.
You must feel for Buchanan. He arrived at the San Siro during last season’s winter transfer window following a move from Club Brugge in Belgium. At the time, there were several reports that incumbent right-sided stud Denzel Dumfries was being lured away from Serie A, and that Buchanan would soon have a huge opportunity to break into the Inter side. Not only did that move fail to transpire, but Dumfries signed a new long-term contract late in 2024 and continues to grow into one of the top wide players in world football. He is once again enjoying a strong season as Inter sit second in the table, four points behind Napoli and with two matches in hand.
Last season, Buchanan featured 10 times for Inter in the league — all off the bench — but seemed to be settling in as expected, albeit slowly.
Then came Copa America and that broken tibia that Buchanan suffered in training with Canada. That injury setback derailed any progress he had hoped to enjoy in Italy. Buchanan returned earlier than expected from the injury, making the bench for Inter in a 4-4 draw with Juventus at the end of October. His first action didn’t come until a month later, off the bench, in a 5-0 drubbing of Hellas Verona. Sadly, any hope of building on that failed to materialize, as he’s only made three limited appearances off the bench since then.
Simply put, it appears Buchanan is out of favour with Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi and he may have to move on.
While it is within the rules to loan out a player to another club outside the January transfer window, most teams like to finalize their squads ahead of the deadline. That means there will be far fewer options for Buchanan after January, especially if you believe the rumours circulating out of Italy that Inter would much prefer a permanent cash deal for the 25-year-old, rather than a loan.
A loan move makes absolute sense for Buchanan, but if Inter insist on a sale, then it is up to the player whether he pushes through such a deal. European soccer is different to traditional North American sports. For example, when a player is traded to another team in the NHL, his contract goes along with him. However, when a soccer player moves in Europe, his current contract is torn up and he re-negotiates with the new club. Therefore, the player ostensibly has the power to veto any transfer.
Presumably, Buchanan’s international coach is following the situation closely. If Marsh is to offer any advice, it would almost certainly start and finish with the need for the player to find minutes somewhere … anywhere!
In years past, a player with Buchanan’s pedigree would automatically win selection to Canada regardless of how many minutes he was enjoying at his club. Afterall, this is a national team that regularly capped “Unattached FC” players. However, this Canada is different. This team has depth and, in Buchanan’s absence, we have seen the likes of Ali Ahmed and Richie Laryea impress on the right side of the pitch.
All things being equal, an in-form Buchanan who is enjoying regular minutes at club level walks into Canada’s starting XI. However, a Buchanan who is not playing could potentially be a high-profile omission from Canadian squads. Or at least, that is how it should be. Surely, we are at the point that the Canadian squad is a meritocracy, with so many footballers featuring week in and week out in decent leagues across the globe.
As the transfer window deadline inches closer, Canadian soccer fans will continue to watch Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David closely, but perhaps the most crucial storyline to follow is that of Buchanan — a true difference maker, when he’s playing.
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