By IVES GALARCEP
Freddy Adu’s latest stint in Major League Soccer is officially over and he is ready to embark on the latest adventure in a roller-coaster career in a league that just might provide the perfect environment for him to showcase his skills.
Adu completed his transfer to Bahia on Friday night, thus ending his tenure with the Philadelphia Union, sources confirmed to SBI on Friday. Adu will be introduced as Bahia’s new player on Monday.
The transfer is part of a player swap that will send Brazilian World Cup-winning midfielder Kleberson to the Philadelphia Union.
The move ends a difficult and disappointing run in Philadelphia for Adu, who never settled in with the Union after signing as a Designated Player after the 2011 Gold Cup.
The deal ends a messy end to Adu’s time with the Union, which saw the Union bench Adu late in the 2012 season before informing him that he was no longer in the team’s plans. His guaranteed contract, which still had two years and $1.3 million remaining on it, was a burden for the cash-strapped Union, which won’t save much money in 2013 on the deal, but will free up almost $400,000 in salary cap space for the 2014 season.
The move is also a welcome one for Adu, who had become persona non grata with the Union. He will now be joining a Bahia team that plays in the Brazilian First Division, a strong league which has been attracting more and more international stars as the financial strength of the Brazilian economy allows teams to compete with big-spending European teams for the services of players like Ronaldinho, Diego Forlan and Clarence Seedorf to name a few.
Signed by the Union after starring for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Adu never could find his footing with the Union despite showing glimpses of the outstanding skill that has made him one of the more intriguing and well-liked American players in recent memory.
What do you think of the move? See Adu thriving in Bahia? Think Kleberson is a good addition for the Union?
Share your thoughts below.