As his team tries to make Concacaf Champions League history, LAFC head coach Bob Bradley says there's nothing to a pair of recent transfer rumors regarding two of his team's best players.
One such report concerned midfielder Latif Blessing, who was rumored to be on the radar of Liga MX side Tigres UANL. Asked if there was anything to that on the club's Friday media availability, Bradley denied that one outright, saying that there's been no dialogue between LAFC and Tigres about Blessing.
"No, there's nothing to that," Bradley said. "Some of these different websites just throw stories out and so there's no truth to that at all. Latif has been an important player for us and there's no negotiations or discussions with Tigres."
The coach expressed a similar sentiment regarding an ESPN report that linked superstar Carlos Vela to Club America, which happens to be their upcoming opposition in the Concacaf Champions League semifinals. ESPN's John Sutcliffe reported that Club America is targeting Vela as its next big offseason signing.
"We haven't heard that," Bradley said on Wednesday. "I think Carlos is really excited with what's going on at LAFC and it shows with the way he plays and the way he leads our team."
While the transfer silly season continues to spit out rumors, Blessing, Vela and the rest of their teammates have a big game on their mind. LAFC's 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in their single-leg CCL quarterfinal matchup this week sets up a huge bout with Club America and puts them just one game away from a CCL final.
LAFC could become the first MLS team to win the tournament and are the last of the league's teams left standing in the resumed 2020 edition, following the eliminations of New York City FC, Atlanta United and the Montreal Impact.
