Big trades for Toronto FC
Toronto FC announced that it has reached a transfer agreement with Italian Serie A club AS Roma and has signed American international midfielder Michael Bradley as a Designated Player. Bradley will join Toronto FC immediately and he was introduced to media and club supporters Monday alongside English international forward Jermain Defoe, marking a historic day for the club.
At the same time the two clubs announced a long-term partnership that will see AS Roma play two friendlies at BMO Field over the next six years and includes a player development program for Toronto FC players at Roma’s training facility.
“To acquire a star midfielder like Michael Bradley, seen by many as the top American player in the world, alongside a premier striker in Jermain Defoe, makes this a groundbreaking day for Toronto FC and for Major League Soccer,” said Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Tim Leiweke. “We have worked hard this off-season to deliver a winning team to our fans and I would like to thank AS Roma and MLSE ownership for their commitment and support. This is an exciting day for Toronto FC fans and we can’t wait to start the season.”
Toronto FC announced Friday that it had reached a transfer agreement with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and had signed Defoe as a Designated Player. Defoe will remain at Tottenham until February 28 before joining Toronto FC ahead of the start of the 2014 season.
Bradley, 26, joins Toronto FC from AS Roma (Roma). This season, Bradley made 11 appearances and scored one goal for Rom
“This certainly goes down as a tremendous day in Toronto FC history and goes a long way towards delivering on our promise to our fans of building them a winning club,” said Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “We had a number of goals heading into this season that included building this club with both a short and long-term vision for contending for playoffs and championships, while also being recognized and competitive internationally. Adding star players like Jermain and Michael, and partnerships with world-class clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma, will help us a great deal in reaching those goals.”
