Toronto FC: Michael Bradley is not for sale

Goal.com is reporting that Toronto FC have turned down a $5 million transfer fee from an unnamed club. The clubs that have been linked to the Toronto designated player in the recent past include Torino and Sampdoria in Serie A. And we know that he’s familiar with the league having last played at AS Roma before becoming a designated player for TFC.

According to a recent interview with TFC’s General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko, they get offers like this for all their current designated players.

“We regularly get interest for Sebastian [Giovinco], Jozy [Altidore] and Michael -- all of them,” TFC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko told the Sun earlier this week.“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.”

A transfer of $5 million would rank up there as one of the highest in the league, joining the likes of Jozy Altidore ($10m to Villarreal) and Eddie Johnson’s ($6m to Fulham). Bradley holds the transfer record for largest fee paid by an MLS club at $10 million when he made the switch from AS Roma to Toronto FC. That tops the $9 million to get Clint Dempsey from Tottenham to the Seattle Sounders.

Bradley is currently rehabbing a knee injury he picked up in the last game of the Copa America. Rumor has it he could return as early as this week.