Toronto FC and USMNT captain, Michael Bradley, has recently suggested that he would be open to a return to Italy on a short-term loan spell, if the right situation were to arise.
Despite qualifying for the Major League Soccer postseason for the first time in franchise history, the 2015 campaign was far from a success for Toronto FC. The club that started the season with the highest payroll in league history, finished in sixth spot in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by their bitter rivals, the Montreal Impact.
Even after the team’s on-field woes, Toronto’s captain, Michael Bradley, expressed his satisfaction with life in the Canadian city. In a recent interview, Bradley suggested that he is very happy with his decision to make the move to MLS, but refused to rule out a possible return to Europe.
"“I would return for a couple of months if there was the [right] opportunity,” Bradley said. “But I’m fine as well in Toronto. I don’t need to leave, but life is a journey in stages. When I left Rome in 2014, six months before the World Cup, I needed to play and [Rudi] Garcia thought better of the other midfielders. Toronto showed me their project and asked me to be their team leader. In these two years, I have grown as a player and as a man. I never made decisions related to money. I love football and my family follows me everywhere I go. What made me choose Toronto was their consideration for me, not the money.”"
Bradley joined Toronto FC in January 2014, when he opted to leave Serie A outfit, Roma. The American international spent a total of two and a half seasons plying his trade in the Italian topflight with Cheivo Verona and the aforementioned Roma. Although it was ultimately his choice to leave the Italian capital, Bradley revealed that he does miss his time on the peninsula.
"“I often speak Italian with Giovinco,” he stated. “I miss Italy more than him, he has no desire to return. He is a protagonist and an idol for us.“MLS is growing. The infrastructure is fantastic and modern. The number of spectators are always increasing and soon [football] will become the number one sport [in America].“The ideal mix would be the theatre and entertainment of MLS, mixed with the tension and preparation of European football.”"
While Bradley claims that he could be enticed by a short-loan move, it is unlikely that Toronto FC would be willing to loan out a player earning more than $6 million a season. The 28-year-old started a total of 26 games for the Reds this season, scoring 5 goals and providing three assists.