Michael Bradley‘s move from German club Borussia Monchengladbach to Aston Villa on Monday didn’t warrant massive headlines next to Fernando Torres getting transferred from Liverpool to Chelsea for $79.5 million or Andy Carroll heading from Newcastle to Liverpool for $56 million.
But Bradley helped make European soccer’s transfer deadline day relevant in a way it hasn’t been before for American soccer, further proof that Yanks aren’t just novelty stories but actual assets.
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That said, Freddy Adu’s pursuit of glory continues to be little more than futile — how else to explain his move to ?aykur Rizespor in the Turkish second division. Meanwhile, Bradley, 23, has risen steadily from MLS to the Netherlands to Germany to England, where he’ll now play the most high-profile soccer of his career.
His move and Jermaine Jones’ recent switch to Blackburn puts an unprecedented five Americans in English Premier League midfields, along with Stuart Holden at Bolton, Jonathan Spector with West Ham and Clint Dempsey at Fulham, which will visit Aston Villa on Saturday.
