Insider Notes: Fernando Torres Has Lukewarm MLS Interest; What's Next for Kathy Carter?

Fernando Torres is out of contract this summer and the natural instinct is to assume a move to MLS. But does any team in the league want to pay the price to land him?

Fernando Torres announced on Monday he’s leaving Atlético Madrid when his contract concludes at the end of this season, and the 34-year-old said he wants to play at least two more seasons. But when I called around MLS, the interest in signing Torres—even on a free transfer—was decidedly lukewarm.

One general manager said Torres at this point is a low-level Designated Player for whom teams would pay only $1.3 million to $1.5 million a year, and he doesn’t think the player would agree to that salary since Torres is asking for $4 million a year. Another MLS GM said his team was offered Torres and turned him down. That GM said the MLS of a year ago would have had more interest in Torres, but the trend in MLS now is toward much younger DPs.

Torres, who has also played most notably for Liverpool and Chelsea and has Champions League and World Cup titles to his name, has been a bit player at Atletico for the past few seasons, and he's eight years removed from his time as a consistent double-digit goal scorer. Since returning to Atletico Madrid in January 2015, Torres has scored 24 goals in 100 league games and another 11 in 49 cup matches.

Elsewhere around the soccer world:

What's next for Kathy Carter?

Kathy Carter, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Soccer president recently, resigned as the president of Soccer United Marketing on Monday, announcing that she’s looking forward to the next chapter of her career. What might come next for Carter? According to multiple sources, Carter has been in talks with employers both inside and outside of the soccer world. She would like to run her own organization and does not have any interest in the U.S. Soccer CEO position once Dan Flynn steps aside in the next year or so.

One source said Carter does have interest in helping the NWSL, and another highly-placed NWSL source said Carter is interested in the league's vacant commissioner’s position. But that would require a few things to happen, including getting the approval from U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro, who defeated Carter in the recent election.