Pacific FC star Bustos joins IFK Värnamo - Had offers from other European clubs

The Canadian Premier League has lost one of its most talented players. Former Pacific FC star Marco Bustos has now officially joined Allsvenskan side IFK Värnamo. The deal first reported by Transfermarkt was made official by the Swedish club on Saturday morning, central European time. Bustos has signed a contract until 2024 that makes him among the highest-paid players in the league. 

“In Marco, we get a very Värnamo-compatible player whose main qualities are found in his technical brilliance and in his ability to find creative solutions in the final third of the pitch,” Värnamo sporting director Enes Ahmetovic said in a club statement. “He is a goal-dangerous player who is also very skilled at putting his teammates in good scoring chances.”

That is certainly a perfect assessment of the player. Bustos was perhaps the best player in the Canadian Premier League in the 2021 season, scoring seven goals and seven assists in 17 regular season games for Pacific FC. Injuries, however, then slowed down the little maestro, and Bustos missed Pacific FC’s playoff run and then struggled with some fitness issues throughout the 2022 season while still managing to score two goals and seven assists in 28 regular season games. 

Bustos to Värnamo – Allsvenskan move underlines national team ambition

Despite his lower numbers in 2022, Bustos remained in high demand. Pacific FC certainly wanted to keep him, but the 26-year-old had outgrown the CPL, and TM understands that Canadian men’s national team coach John Herdman has communicated to Bustos that he wanted to see him compete in either Major League Soccer or Europe if he wanted a spot on the squad. 

Bustos did train with Toronto FC in the offseason, but the MLS club opted not to sign the technically gifted midfielder. Instead, Bustos entertained offers from Europe, and Värnamo aside from one more club from Sweden, an Eredivisie side, a club from Poland, and an Italian Serie B side were interested. But ultimately, Värnamo’s package won out. 

The biggest goal in my career has always been to move to Europe and play football at a high level,” Bustos said in a club statement. “After the last few seasons in Canada, I was convinced that the right opportunity would eventually come. I never wanted to move to any European club just to move. … I took the time to listen and evaluate the opportunities that were given and in the end I strongly felt that IFK Värnamo was the perfect club for me.”