Where to Next For Michael Bradley?

January 29th, 2008 | by: Carter Daly | View Comments

Michael Bradley is on another planet these days.

Just past weekend, he notched his fourteenth and fifteenth goals in all competitions this season for Heerenveen, making him the all-time leading scorer for an American born player in a European first division. If that wasn’t impressive enough, chew on the fact that the kid is only twenty years old, and plays as a two-way center mid with more bite than your average mountain lion.

Bradley has recently met with Heerenveen officials to let them know that he does not intend to re-sign with the club when his current deal runs out at the end of next season. With Bradley putting that decision firmly in place, it is now time to look to the future of the young star who has already garnered the attention of many clubs across Europe.

Let’s take a look at some possible destinations, some rooted in report, others not… yet at least.

Hamburg SV – This was the first club reported to have an interest in the Coach’s son after he announced he would not be re-signing with Heerenveen. With the eventual sale of Van Der Vaart, they will be looking to buy some midfield players. Hamburg is a solid option with the possibility of Champions League play, but I think that Michael will draw a lot more intriguing interest from top 3 leagues as the summer window approaches.

Blackburn – Another club to express recent interest in the kid. Although a solid premiership club, I still believe that Bradley will end up at a club with a bit more clout than Blackburn when all is said and done next summer.

Everton – The second English club to express some scouting interest in Michael. This is the most realistic option I see out of the three mentioned so far. Everton is on the rise big time, and are currently in position to earn a Champions League spot. I could definitely see them making a play for Bradley in the lead-up to a potential Champions League season. With Tim Howard there to sell Everton hard, the Toffees could be an enticing option for the young Bradley.

I think Bradley has been turning enough heads to draw interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world, but interest of this sort probably will not materialize for a fan’s eyes until the lead-up to the summer window. Playing time will most definitely play a role in Michael’s decision, but who is to say he cannot get playing time at a big club with the way he has been performing this year. Would it be out of the question to say that a club like Valencia, Bayern Munich, or AC Milan might make a play for this kid? In the summer we will know. But one thing is for sure, Michael Bradley is on the move.

Where do you think Bradley will end up next year? Where do you want him to end up?