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Serie A giants AC Milan are considering a bid for U.S. men’s national team captain, Michael Bradley, according to a prominent Canadian soccer source of news.
Now that that's over: I have on good authority that @acmilan is preparing a January bid for Michael Bradley. TFC may consider.
— Duane Rollins (@24thminute) October 23, 2016
Duane Rollins is a reliable source for news, particularly regarding Toronto FC and wouldn’t fabricate a rumor just to do it. He also states that the bid would be for a permanent move as TFC would be looking for a No. 10 type Designated Player to replace Bradley.
Through the years since the 29-year-old left Italy to come back to MLS, he’s received interest from numerous Serie A clubs about a possible return. There have been no concrete bids to the public’s knowledge.
This one is an interesting case. Toronto FC looking to unload Bradley before his prime years run out isn’t too far-fetched. What does seem unlikely is that AC Milan or any other club around the world would offer him anywhere close to the $6.5 million per year salary he’s currently making. Thus, giving him no incentive to leave his current position even if TFC did accept a bid for him.
Never say never in the world of soccer, but this one doesn’t seem very plausible unless Bradley is willing to sacrifice a lot of money to go back to Europe and challenge himself all over again.