CF Montréal midfielders Djordje Mihailovic, Ismael Kone and Rida Zouhir will spend time with sister club Bologna for a training stint this winter, sporting director Olivier Renard told media on Tuesday.
Bologna and CFM are both owned by Joey Saputo, and the Italian side currently occupies 10th place in the Serie A table. There's synergy between the two clubs, with defender Luis Binks moving from Canada to Italy this year while forward Lassi Lappalainen has been with Montréal on loan from Bologna.
Mihailovic, 23, was named the club’s 2021 MVP after a stellar campaign. He arrived in a trade with Chicago Fire FC and recorded a career year, with four goals and 16 assists. The attacking midfielder is expected to be under consideration for the US men's national team’s December camp.
On a virtual press conference Tuesday, Mihailovic reiterated his desire to play in Europe one day.
"I've never been shy to say my goal is to play in Europe," Mihailovic said. "When the right time and right situation comes for me and the club, it’ll be something to think about. Right now, I'm a Montréal player. Nothing has come forward yet, so I'm just focusing on resting and getting ready for the Concacaf Champions League next year."
Kone, 19, trained with Belgian clubs Genk and Mouscron before signing a professional contract with Montréal in the summer.
Zouhir, who turned 18 on Tuesday, signed a homegrown contract with CFM ahead of this season. He made two MLS appearances off the bench this year.
