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MLS accepts $5 million Rangers bid for Edu

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                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

Maurice Edu is on his way to Europe.

According to multiple sources within Major League Soccer, MLS and Toronto FC have accepted a $5 million transfer fee for Edu from Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers. Edu is stil finalizing personal terms with Rangers, but a deal is expected to be completed soon.

Edu joins Jozy Altidore ($10 million move to Villarreal) and Brad Guzan ($1.5 million move to Aston Villa) on the list of MLS standouts to make moves to Europe this summer. Who do you think is next to go?

Share your thought’s on Edu’s move, and on who you think will go next, in the comments section below.

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Comments

  1. @Posted by: Dan | August 15, 2008 at 11:42 AM

    Guzan was leaving on a free after this year and he was being bought with an eye towards being a backup. The value always goes down when the player will be going on a free. (the offer last year was more than double what he actually left for if memory serves)

    It should be a decent move for Edu. It sucks that Rangers are out of Europe (not that I care about Rangers, but it’s the only reason for USMNT players to be in the SPL) Hopefully they can get back to CL or UEFA Cup again.

    I think he’ll do well.

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  2. I disagree with all of the people bemoaning this and other moves of our “best talent.”

    I think this is a good thing for the league as a whole. By MLS getting these transfers, it can invest that money back into the league. You want a salary cap increase? The transfer money from Jozy et al leaving can go towards the salary cap increase. Whether they do that or not, is a different story. Also, that money can go towards MLS teams finding new talent. Sure, there have been a few oldies signing with the league, but there also have been young up-and-comers signing too. Jozy Altidore, Brad Guzan, Maurice Edu and Juan Toja have left, but other teams are bringing in new players who have contributed. Just because good players are leaving, doesn’t mean this league is devoid of talent.

    I don’t mind being a “feeder league.” Europe is where its at and I am cool with that. Sure, I may not be wowed when someone goes to Norway or Denmark. But, if guys are going to Europe, that means that MLS, in 13 years of existence, has created players of good value. What’s not to be proud of?

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  3. As a supporter of this young Toronto club, it brings a tear to my eye to see our first ever draft pick leave. I know he hasn’t had the best year, but he has amazing potential. He’ll grow into a better player. Best of luck Mo!!

    And welcome Johann Smith.

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  4. for all those unhappy about the MLS selling much of its young talent. You need to sell talent to develop and buy talent in this business… That 5 million will pay for Toronto’s entire roster next year, plus more. The excess funds may now be used to buy new players, develop youth academies, or keep players like Wynne who may be looking to Europe soon… This league is playing its cards very well, the pool of very talented American players grows year by year, as do the budgets of these teams. The league has never been stronger, and I’m excited

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  5. He’ll do a job at Rangers whether reenforcing midfield or filling in @ centerhalf when Gramdpa Davie needs a day off in his easy chair (I hope there are a lot of those). Besides losing his head twice and getting out of jail free on two should-have-been penalties, he wasn’t too bad at center half.

    In all honesty with the signing of Mendes it looks like Rangers will be all set in the center of midfield (4-2-3-1: with Thomson and Mendes sitting behind Beasley, Aaron, and Lafferty/Fleck*?*) i’d like to see Wattie work with Edu on his mindfulness @ the back because we could use a little composure and devotion to playing out of the back instead of Weir’s long balls that just end up back at the keeper one way or another.

    Gers might’ve been deservedly punted from the Champs League, but they’ll skip over the trouble of qualifying next time around. This squad will easily bring in title number 52.

    Nice work finding Captain America in the background of the pic… very artistic Ives.

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  6. Great to see Maurice Edu go to Europe and ply his trade…It’s curious that Rangers have signed Reyna, Beasley, and Edu, you’d think Celtic might be interested in an American as well? Maybe Celtic might feel they don’t need much more to beat Rangers to the top again, while Rangers, well, they need help (no Europe this year, multi-year drought without the Scottish title). Even though I root for Celtic in the Old Firm…Good luck Mo!

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  7. Great to see Maurice Edu go to Europe and ply his trade…It’s curious that Rangers have signed Reyna, Beasley, and Edu, you’d think Celtic might be interested in an American as well? Maybe Celtic might feel they don’t need much more to beat Rangers to the top again, while Rangers, well, they need help (no Europe this year, multi-year drought without the Scottish title). Even though I root for Celtic in the Old Firm…Good luck Mo!

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  8. For the people commenting on Holden going to europe, I don’t know if I would hold my breath for that to happen anytime soon. In like 2005 he was on the Sunderland reserves and was beaten badly outside a nightclub by like four guys. They broke his eye socket or something like that, which is why he came back home to the states.

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  9. TK, I’d be more offended that we TFC fans amuse you if it was clear you had any idea what you’re talking about.

    Despite what people in MLS seem to believe, most TFC fans were watching professional footie for years before we got a team, and we’ve watched him play poorly all season long.

    He was a major contributor last year…on a very weak team in which even average play was seen as a major contribution. No one from TFC on here has suggested Mo is “the problem” in any respect, just that he’s not very important to us right now becuase he hasn’t been playing well.

    Ditto with Wynne, and if you actually could buy a clue, you’d know his terrible positioning is directly responsible (go back and check the game vids) for about half TFC’s 24 goals against. Being able to run a 10.5 and lift 200 pounds makes you a track star, not a great fullback.

    Geez, that was an arrogant friggin’ post, commenting on a team you quite obviously don’t even watch.

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  10. I love how the TFC fans want to get rid of Edu and Wynne. We can only hope that happens. Edu plays exceptionally well for the national team and played pretty good in central defense for the olympic team. For a 22 year old who went to college, he is only going to get better.

    Its quite sad that TFC fans cant realize good young talent that should be held on to. Hopefully Ibrahim will get out of that craphole of a team soon enough, too.

    oh ya, suck it canada 2-1.

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  11. michael vann- what do you mean rangers dont normally break the bank?

    5 million dollars is nothing, we just signed pedro mendes yesterday for 6 million dollars and we signed kyle lafferty for almost 8 million dollars a month ago

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  12. The guy can play, he has a big upside, he is solid citizen on the pitch and plays with maturity beyond his expirence. Going to Rangers IS A GREAT MOVE FOR A GREAT YOUNG TALENT!

    BE HAPPY EVERYONE FOR JUST THIS ONCE. THERE IS NOTHING TO PICK APART HERE!!!!!! THE MLS IS A DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE AND DEVEOPMENTAL LEAGUES DEVELOP TALENT AND SELL IT-PERIOD

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  13. Bob- Great idea, I’m there with you too. You front the money?

    That’s the issue here. Money. Popularity. It’s a bit of a self-fulfilling problem. American’s wont watch unless we have big stars, but we wont have big stars unless American’s watch.

    So what should we do? Get someone to front a hundred million to sign superstars? That’s not going to work.

    If you want to see superstars, go buy a ticket.

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  14. Mo Edu to Rangers. Good move.

    Why did Guzan only get $1.5 million fee? Because he had less than a year on his contract, if Villa and MLS had waited, Guzan could have gone on a free transfer, but Villa also didn’t know if they were going to get Freidel.

    Edu has at least two more years on his contract. Remember this is the 2007 Rookie of the Year and has multiple national team appearences already. Of course he will go to Europe, I never though it a question of if, but a question of when.

    MLS though is going to have to start paying its players more if they plan on keeping any of them here.

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  15. Betinho — Of course I do. But La Liga can lose a world class player or two because it has a million of them to begin with. Same goes for the EPL and, to a lesser degree, the Bundesliga and Serie A.

    Your analogy concerning players switching teams simply doesn’t work — those players stay in the league. If they leave the league entirely, that’s a different scenario.

    MLS is not going to rise above third or fourth tier status by selling its good young players. This has to become a buying league.

    MLS has worked like a charity for over ten years and at some point they have to come out with a top-notch product. Tenth best doesn’t play in America — it never has. You want butts in seats and money in the bank, you need to bring in good players and keep the ones you have.

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  16. With the salary rules in place MLS is basically relegated to 3rd rate status at this point. Adding on top of that the weak dollar and the league can’t even compete at all for players on the world stage. Good,young players will continue to leave the league in droves until the salary cap is significantly raised. There really is no way around stopping this unless the salary cap is changed drastically. Regarding players coming back, they will only come back at the end of their careers when they little left. Not really sure how that could help the league.

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  17. TFC fans are incredibly amusing.

    They will still be stuck with Robert, Amando (guess what? you saw his best – only downhill from here) and Ricketts.

    Wynne and Edu will be in Europe contributng and doing fairly well.

    Then TFC fans will be bitching at how they could never do it for them but they are doing OK there! Whatgives?!

    This will happen and it will be fun to watch.

    Carver, Johnson, Amando, Ricketts, Robert? Ha.

    Yeah, Edu and Wynne are the issue.

    Good one.

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  18. Does anybody here watch international soccer? Does anyone here ever watch any other American sport? Players switch teams. We don’t ahve the best league in the world. Until we do our best players will go to the best leagues. It happens in baseball, hockey and now basketball. Stop your whining and love the shirt you are wearing. It’s the way professional sports works – thank Curt Flood.

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