5 to 6 year contract http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1674922/toronto-fc-set-acquire-michael-bradley-roma?cc=5901 ALL teams were notified of his availability.
It would have been nice if a better team made a bid. Its going to be tough for MLS to cry poor during the upcoming CBA negotiations with them throwing this kind of cash around for Dempsey and Bradley.
This is a secret plot by Canada to ruin a USMNT mainstay before a World Cup. I have enough respect for MLS that I don't have a problem with national teamers coming back here, even before a World Cup. But I don't see anything positive coming out of Michael Bradley playing in the dumpster fire that is Toronto. For him, or his club, who need a hell of a lot more help than just him.
Obviously this is step down for Bradley, I would've liked to have seen him go to a better MLS team (not necessarily LA).
Oh for heaven shakes garber did not kill the national team. Seattle got dempsey and that wasn't an issue with Klinsmann so i don't see why TFC getting MB would make any difference.
So lets add up some estimated numbers Bradley: 6 years at 6.5 = $39 million Defoe: lets speculate 4.5 for 4 years = $18 million Bradley transfer fee: $10m Defoe transfer fee: ? 6-10M ? So it looks to me that it is in the $70-80m range, depending on Defoe's numbers, which could be higher/longer than I speculated. Not quite the $100m, but not chump change either.
You mean 4.. One curious thing about the deal is how Michael adjusts to being a face of the league because he is a pretty private guy, but the league obviously is going to want to run with this and expose him as much as they can.
How can you say a "better team". Toronto is now a top team in MLS. He very well may well be going to the best team in MLS. And good for them, their fans deserve it.
Are they? You don't think MLS wouldn't want to help "negotiate" a deal that would allow a mainstay/star of the USMNT head back to the league ahead of the World Cup? If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if it's exactly the opposite. I could imagine MLS making Laba's transfer fee a "league DP" sorta deal for the team taking him on, thus dropping his budget hit to a very reasonable $200K, and creating a bidding war so that nothing stands in the way of Toronto shelling out the money for Bradley. TFC gets their player, another team upgrades with Laba, the league benefits from the attention and PR and having more good players on more teams. This is the PEP money at work.
Klinsmann wasn't happy that Dempsey came back. He is very pleased that he's on loan right now. This is a PR move to negotiate for new TV contract. Same thing with NYCFC and Miami Beckham. Garber is thinking from business aspect and short term right now, not long term. Improving American player through youth development and better coaching will see MLS play improve and sustain. Bradley and Dempsey in same league will not get new fans to watch, if that's the league's motive. I still like Bradley but how can anyone not be disappointed? He's not Dempsey's age and arguably our best player in Europe until now. I expect the nepotism 2.0 to happen if he plays poorly this summer, except the no ambition argument. Similar to how Donovan was treated when he came back. Really most MLS fans don't start following the league first. It's usually through the national team or World Cupa new fan decides to give MLS a try. Big bargaining chip for new CBA Lalas is right about that. Salary discrepancy between Bradley, Dempsey and their teammates. Kasey Keller posed question to Garber during halftime of MLS Cup. Asked whether league is better off sepending the Dempsey money or spending that money on a well rounded roster instead.
I guess Klinsmann rather see dempsey ride the bench cause he wasn't gonna get this kinda of money that Seattle gave him in Europe. Raising the cap would not necessarily solve the discrepancy problem in regards to salaries. Players would want a larger salary and there will still be players making less money.