Adu and Benfica agree on deal (updated)
After hitting a snag earlier this week, Freddy Adu's transfer to Benfica is on again. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Adu's representatives and Benfica have agreed in principle on a contract, with Adu set to travel to Portugal next week to complete the deal. Terms of the contract were not available.
Adu's agent, Richard Motzkin, had turned down Benfica's original contract offer after Benfica agreed on a $2 million transfer with MLS. English club Tottenham and Scottish club Celtic had also been linked to Adu but Benfica's $2 million bid eventually won out.
For those of you who didn't see it, here is my column today on the Freddy Adu transfer situation on ESPN.com.
Adu had been expected to play against New England on Saturday but now his availability is in doubt. If he doesn't play on Saturday, Real Salt Lake's 1-1 exhibition tie against Boca Juniors will go down as Adu's last game for Real Salt Lake.
What do you think about this deal? Is it a good move for Adu? Is it a good deal for Real Salt Lake and MLS? Share your thoughts below.
Best of luck to Freddie.
Hope MLS get a nice transfer fee.
Posted by: Istvan from Budapest | July 27, 2007 at 03:56 PM
nice string of consistently strong articles you've put up lately Ives, good work and keep it up.
Posted by: Jasen | July 27, 2007 at 04:11 PM
GO! FREDDY! GO!
Benefica is swooping every top player at the U-20 World Cup not named Sergio Aguero and Giovanni Dos Santos.
Posted by: Dominghosa | July 27, 2007 at 04:17 PM
Thanks for the update on Adu Ives. Quick question, whatever happened to that "talk of the town" stadium news that RBNY was supposed to announce today?
Posted by: Nick | July 27, 2007 at 04:27 PM
Great column, Ives-- you're dead-on about Freddy needing to make the move and the fundamental reasons why a team like RSL can't afford to keep him. You just can't afford big-ticket "development" players in MLS yet, not if you want to also field a competitive team. Teams have to choose-- pay for the team you want 5 years from now or the team you want now, but whichever they pay for, that's the one that plays.
Hope the deal gets done. Thanks for keeping fans 'in the loop.'
Posted by: Andy B. | July 27, 2007 at 04:40 PM
Wanchope to Chicago deal is done.
Posted by: Dominghosa | July 27, 2007 at 05:17 PM
Did I step into some kind of time warp?
Posted by: Drew | July 27, 2007 at 05:42 PM
I'd much rather see him at Benfica than Tottenham. Martin Jol seems to collect midfielders like stamps and with Keane playing in the hole I don't think Freddy would play.
Benfica would be a great match, given their backroom staff, followed by Celtic.
Let's hope this gets done.
Posted by: Steve W | July 27, 2007 at 06:22 PM
Seems like the price is low. Adu's stock is down. Didn't he sign with DC for $5,000,000?
Posted by: Fred | July 27, 2007 at 08:15 PM
Good luck to Freddy Adu. Hopefully this works out well for everyone in the end.
Posted by: Dave | July 27, 2007 at 08:24 PM
$5mil to the Academy? They can buy like 100 9 year olds with that money. :-)
Posted by: EssEff | July 27, 2007 at 08:35 PM
It was $500,000. You added too many 0s.
Posted by: Dominghosa | July 27, 2007 at 08:55 PM
Steve Goff at the Post just posted that Freddy heads to Portugal on Sunday with his mom and rep.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2007/07/urgent_freddy_to_benfica.html#comments
Posted by: DCU 4EVER | July 27, 2007 at 09:05 PM
I'm happy for him. A lot of people who've bashed Adu looked quite foolish during the U-20 World Cup and his move to Benfica gives him an opportunity to play with some great talent on a massive stage.
Posted by: Derek | July 27, 2007 at 09:51 PM
I wish MLS had been able to get more money for him.
Posted by: Rhys | July 27, 2007 at 10:02 PM
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jul28e.html
Well don't tell Inter it's a done deal...the most interesting part is the speculation on Adu's value - 3.3mm pounds ($6.6mm), hope MLS got a hefty sell-on clause otherwise they got fleeced
Posted by: Nico | July 27, 2007 at 10:14 PM
Doesn't Rui Costa already play in the slot that Freddy so covets?
Posted by: mike | July 27, 2007 at 11:04 PM
Rui Costa is 35. Freddy will do great there. No matter what he did in MLS, he (or anyone for that matter) could ever meet THOSE expectations. It was just unfair to him. At least it looks like MLS is learning by not heaping the same praise on the Altidore's and Bonstein's of the league. I'm happy for Freddy and hope he plays great for Benfica and gets a fair shake on the US Nat'l team.
Posted by: Michael F. | July 27, 2007 at 11:34 PM
Ives,
Do you have any idea if a sell-on clause is part of the deal? That seems to me like it would be very lucrative for MLS, so for the league's sake I hope they'd be able to benefit to a likely 2nd move for Freddy in 3-4 years.
Posted by: ct | July 27, 2007 at 11:35 PM
If the deal goes through, I wonder if FSC or ESPN will pick up Benfica's third-round Champions League qualifying games.
Posted by: MHiggo | July 28, 2007 at 01:39 AM
For those planning on following Fredddy in Portugal. Benfica just bought the Argentine striker Gonzalo Bergessio. He has to be the worst player I've ever seen in my life. I really question their powers at be if they shelled out more money on Bergessio than they did on Freddy.
Posted by: Nic | July 28, 2007 at 02:58 AM
If you know that we bought bergessio you know to that Angel Di Maria is moving to Lisbon and he is a hell of a player.Bergessio is only for now a selution in the bench...About the money...Well,like any club in the world, we only want to spend the necessary money to bring the player,so the problem hear is who sell,MLS of course. I'm very happy with this transfer,I know that we lose good and important players like Simão and Miccoli,but they have 28 and 27 years old...Now my friends we have a team to the future,and names like Adu who make us again known in all world!There are hear a lot of Benfiquistas and we are talking in english with persons who lived in the other side of the ocean...This is the eagle year!IHe is an important player to the team (of course he is'nt the new simão,simão is with no doubt the best player in the last 10 years in our team, so the jersey #20 is really heavy...) but most importantly he is a fantastic player to bringing back in this places the Benfica brand.Saudações Benfiquistas!
Posted by: Kapx | July 28, 2007 at 03:50 AM
Sounds like a good signing for Benfica. Adu looks promissing and possibly will also reap marketing dividends in States as well. I'm curious to know if people over there in the States agree?
Anyway Benfica signed a lot of young players to fill the shoes of the likes of Simão and Miccoli, let's hope that they can make an impact.
Posted by: Lackl | July 28, 2007 at 04:53 AM
In Benfica , Adu will see the mean of passion in soccer, Benfica is the first club in the world ,most number of paid up members of any club.And the supporters love there club and is players...
Welcome Adu.
Posted by: lb69 | July 28, 2007 at 05:30 AM
Nike+ users, join the MLS challenge
http://forums.nike.com/thread.jspa?threadID=7208&tstart=0
and run for pride!
Posted by: Istvan from Budapest | July 28, 2007 at 10:32 AM