It sounds as though young -- yes, still young -- Freddy Adu is off to see the wizardplay in Brazil.
The 23-year-old attacker will reportedly undergo a medical evaluation at Bahia with the intention of joining the club. That’s far superior to his current persona non grata status with the Philadelphia Union. In exchange, the MLS side stands to receive former Manchester United midfielder Kléberson.
It’s all still pretty unclear, though, with Bahia president Marcelo Guimarães Filho telling reporters, “If the deal is done, costs will be reduced, as Freddy Adu would earn less than Kléberson, who would join Philadelphia Union in a swap deal,” but Union chief executive Nick Sakiewicz saying that Adu has not been asked to take a reduced salary.
(Sakiewicz also reported that while no MLS team inquired about Adu’s services, the player rejected offers from Russia, Ukraine, Australia, South Korea, and Mexico. “After the third time, I stopped trying to guess what Freddy Adu wants,” Sakiewicz said. “The Korea deal was substantially more than what he’s making now.”)
Bahia, for what it’s worth, sounds excited about securing Adu’s services. The team released a statement: “The player is good, young, and could adapt to Brazilian football.”
The newest team would be Adu’s eighth club since 2007, although his first one in South America. So that’s fun. The days of Freddy Adu as the future of American soccer are over, a thing of the past that seems ridiculous in retrospect, but I still but the man might not be totally done yet. He still has the vision and the skill to make an impact, and Brazil, which offers players plenty of time on the ball, might be the perfect place for him. And well away from the spotlight. Who knows? If this works out well, he could still turn things around.
One last thought: The other day, I posted a video of an interview of Jozy Altidore conducted by Jimmy Conrad. The following exchange caught my attention:
Conrad: “Who’s the best player you’ve ever played with?”
Altidore: “Honestly? Talentwise, Freddy Adu.”
That doesn’t go away. I’m just saying...