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Report: TFC turned down $5 million transfer offer for Michael Bradley

Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports

Michael Bradley hasn’t played in an MLS game since late May, but the U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder was the subject of a major transfer offer.

According to Goal USA, Toronto FC recently rejected a $5 million transfer offer for Bradley from a European team. The offer would be half of what TFC paid for the former Roma midfielder, who broke the MLS record for largest transfer fee paid with his $10 million move from Serie A.

However, the deal would have been the third-largest transfer fee earned by an MLS team, behind only Jozy Altidore’s $10 million transfer to Villarreal and Eddie Johnson’s $6 million move to Fulham, both of which came in 2008.

“We regularly get interest for Sebastian [Giovinco], Jozy and Michael — all of them,” general manager Tim Bezbatchenko told the Toronto Sun last week following reports linking Bradley to Serie A side Torino. “It’s a matter of understanding that these players aren’t for sale. Again, if there was an offer we couldn’t refuse, then it’s something we would entertain but for the most part it’s a polite decline. Thank you but no thank you.”

Bradley has made 12 appearances for Toronto FC this season while captaining the USMNT in a fourth-place finish at this summer’s Copa America.

What do you think of the news? Should TFC have accepted the bid for Bradley?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. A number of people say someone offering 5 mil for Bradley given that Toronto paid 10 mil for him to get him, but another thing to consider is his salary (which I believe is substantial) could be something that Toronto might want to get off their books. Since they are declining the offer then obviously they don’t want him off their books, but just saying when you look at these deals the transfer fee is not the only bit of money that’s involved and taken into consideration.

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  2. Should’ve sold him. Even if losing 5 mill from the initial transaction you can get somebody much better for a couple of millions transfer and a million a year.
    Recover your initial investment, eliminate his huge wages and end up with a much better player. A no brainier.

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  3. I call BS, Bradley is not worth anywhere near $5 mln. He has regressed as a footballer since making one of the stupidest career moves in the history of mankind by returning to MLS.
    If someone is willing to take him even for fraction of that amount would be a win win for everyone, but I doubt that. What a waste of a career, Bradleys…

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  4. Whether you like Bradley or not, it’s not good business to take a $5 million hit considering he’s still a face of the USMNT and has many years ahead.

    I’m all for utilizing the transfer market, but anything less than $10 million and it’s not worth it.

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    • Clubs always lose money on a high priced transfer. They only gain money by getting prospects and selling them for a high price. It is known. Do you think the team that is trying to buy Pogba thinks they are going to turn around and sell him for a profit?

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      • In the global market, $10 million is simply not a “high priced transfer”. The reason he went for this amount is due to non-footballing factors (i.e. American, going to an American league). This is similar to the phenomenon we see in English football for fellow Brits.

        There is no motivation for an MLS club to take that kind of loss for a player when he still has something to give. You referencing prospects and Pogba has nothing to do with Bradley’s situation because they are not worthy of comparison.

  5. typical BS comments here. It’s something that folks disagree with, or don’t understand, so it’s laughable or impossible, or some other jive reply (must be that MB didn’t want to go, etc.). Michael is much better than the ratings received by the peanut gallery here, obviously. I await your group think replies led by the usual suspects who know sooooooooo much about things

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    • The names that have surfaced are Sampdoria and Torino, no one knows for sure if this story is talking about one of those or some other team, but do you honestly think Michael would want to play there? When he signed in Toronto he made comments to the effect that the team wanted to go for championships and to do something special. Why would he leave for less money to play for less competitive teams in a league he’s already had success with a top team in?

      I appreciate your love for Michael Bradley and your desire to jump to his defense at any turn, but saying Bradley wouldn’t want to go is not a slight in this case given the teams showing interest. Nor is saying he’s not worth a 10 million dollar transfer fee at age 29, when he was only worth 3.75 Million euros when he was playing his best (sorry not going to figure out the conversion rate in 2012, but its had to be around 5 million). Those are both realistic assessments of the situation. Michael was having his best year in MLS before his injury, and if he, Jozy, and Will Johnson are healthy TFC are contenders, be happy with that.

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      • I don’t jump to his defense at every or any turn, only when the peanut gallery goes whack…on any player for that matter. the group think here is undeniable
        don’t tell me to be happy or not with anything johhny, please, you are in no position to dictate to anyone about anything regarding socceer. Your volume posting on this site while adding little insight is a reason I do not hang out here anymore.

      • Beachbum, I apologize then for making your SBI experience so miserable. I will go back to ignoring your comments and encourage you to do the same for mine. I foolishly tried to answer your attack with fact and reason, but you were clearly just looking for a reason to launch a personal attack.

  6. Good to see if you are a MLS fan. No need to sell, with a need to win. Right where you want teams in the league to be.

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    • That’s not how professional soccer works, although MLS is at a disadvantage with its schedule and with such a large percentage making the playoffs. Do you think Dortmund wanted to sell their best defender to their biggest competition or Juventus doesn’t think they’ll have a better chance in Serie A and CL with Pogba? If a player wants to go in soccer the deal gets done. That’s how you attract players to play for you. If you are a potential star in S.America or Africa and you have an offer to play in Toronto you are going to think twice because they won’t sell you if you get too good. I don’t think Bradley, Jozy, or Gio really want to go anywhere, but when management says certain players aren’t for sale it sends a potentially bad message.

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      • “If you are a potential star in S.America or Africa and you have an offer to play in Toronto you are going to think twice because they won’t sell you if you get too good. I don’t think Bradley, Jozy, or Gio really want to go anywhere, but when management says certain players aren’t for sale it sends a potentially bad message.”
        Teams say it all the time. Sometimes they mean it, and sometimes it’s just part of negotiating the price higher.

        If you were a “potential star” and if you were considering Toronto, but were worried about whether they would sell you on, you make sure you get your agent to negotiate a short-term contract, or one that has a release clause for a reasonable amount of money. Simple.

  7. I don’t know what his actual transfer fee would be but 5mil sounds like a slap in the face and again shows the tinted glasses that european clubs see american players through. His skill set has tailed since rejoining MLS but you’d have to think he’d demand 10mil again before anything were to happen on the transfer front.

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    • As you say his skills have diminished and he’s 2.5 years older (now 29 will be 30 by the end of the European season). Transfermarkt.com has him listed at 4 million dollars. Plus when you add he had more value marketing wise in MLS it seems like a pretty reasonable offer.

      You also have to remember Michael has a say in this too, if the offer was rejected he most likely didn’t want to go.

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      • Should have sold him and get him back on a free in 3 years. He’s been underwhelming in MLS and there are better & cheaper players in his position within MLS.

      • Dinho in most leagues around the world the player usually makes the call, often times the contract is done before the transfer fee. MLS of course is different than most other leagues, but you would think with a foreign transfer the player would have the final say assuming the transfer fee is reasonable, a trade within the league maybe not.

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