'It's possible': Bob Bradley says Carlos Salcedo may depart Toronto FC after just 6 months

Amid rumours of a return to Liga MX, Toronto FC centre-back Carlos Salcedo was absent from training Friday afternoon.

Salcedo has been back-and-forth from Mexico the past week or so, tending to a family emergency. He has missed training sessions recently as a result, but the Mexican international had been cryptically counting down from three on Twitter since Tuesday – with yesterday being one – perhaps alluding to a potential move back home.

According to one source, Salcedo will indeed be transferred out of MLS, departing TFC after just six months.

"It's possible that's going to be the best solution for him and his family," Bob Bradley conceded on Friday, who did add that there still is a possibility that Salcedo is available to the team on Saturday. "It's not 100 per cent, but that's certainly something that might work for him at this time. We'll see."

"The family situation has made things difficult for him and it's hard to be in two places at the same time," added Bradley. "He's been back-and-forth a lot, that's difficult, and I think he wants to make sure things are taken care of the way they need to be."

A designated player, Salcedo arrived in January from Mexico’s Tigres, appearing in just 13 MLS matches so far for the club, missing time for various reasons. To say his tenure has been inconsistent would be putting it gently. Salcedo was the highest-paid defender in MLS according to figures released by the MLSPA earlier this year, making just over $2.35 million in guaranteed compensation this season, ultimately failing to live up to those expectations.

On Thursday, TFC also formally announced the departure of another designated player, Alejandro Pozuelo, sending the 2020 MLS MVP to Inter Miami in exchange for $150,000 in General Allocation Money, additional condition GAM, while retaining a sell-on percentage.

According to multiple sources, Toronto will be using that designated player spot to sign former Juventus winger Federico Bernardeschi on a free contract. The 28-year-old struggled with Juventus last season, scoring just twice in 36 appearances in all competitions. The winger joined the Old Lady in July 2017, signing from Fiorentina in a deal worth €40 million. In five seasons since, Bernardeschi has made 183 appearances, scoring 12 times and adding 24 assists.

If (and when) Salcedo does depart, the club will have one more open DP spot to fill, and there’s a very real possibility that Toronto does so this summer. With who? Stay tuned.