He's a free agent. He can sign whenever he wants. Today's the deadline for transfers in the January window.
We're already a month into the preseason transfer window. Yes, he can be gotten on a free, but he needed some press, and some proof he was training with a real team, rather than a 'training facility in the US'. Good move on his part, despite the unlikely work status in the UK.
Some transfer windows are open until Sunday, plus Freddy isn't under contract so he can generally be registered with a new team at any time (assuming league rules allow).
If there's on thing Freddy has never been, it's undervalued. Overvalued? Many, many times. But never undervalued.
Adu was not over-rated like those guys though. He just didn't work hard enough. More tragic when you think about it.
Adu was special because he was in the USA, where few players have such ball control as he does. He could dribble and do feints, and could have sparks of brilliance. That is very common in South America, where players like him are a dime a dozen. The majority of them never amount to anything. It's a team game, and "feinting around" will only get you so far. Can't follow the coach's plans because you prefer your own, or because you're dumb as a rock, then it's not going to end well. Had he been born in Brazil or Argentina, he'd have been forgotten long ago.
Adu will never be forgotten. And it has nothing to do with feints and dribbling around like a circus clown. It has to do with the way he seems to step up his game and play decently for the USA national team. I think he can step in and do that again as a bench option.
Players with Adu's vision, skill, ability to take on 1v1, 1v2, 1v3, dribbling, as well as can score isn't a dime a dozen anywhere. His failure isn't due to his strengths, it's due to his weaknesses.
Somehow by not playing, you guys turned Freddy Adu into Jamar Beasley. Come on now, he is struggling to find a home, he doesn't suck. Most Americans who aren't defenders or Jozy seem to have the same issue when playing overseas.
Leaf and Bowie weren't "over-rated" (I have no idea who Daigle is, I don't follow hockey). They were extremely talented players whose potential was squandered due to laziness (Leaf) and injuries (Bowie). Sounds pretty similar to me.
with a proper environnement, a proper game plan , a competent manager and a proper psichological help freddy adu still is the best player we have to unlock tight defenses. as someone said before he shoud go to the new york cosmos tpo get playing time and confidence. he can be a great help to the USMNT
However, he also struggled mightily to find a home playing in MLS [DC, RSL, Philadelphia] . He has disappointed just about everyone, and everywhere, except (perhaps) the citizens of Aris. I once had great respect for his potential, but it is hard to maintain that respect when he himself doesn't seem to give a damn.
For people like me who couldn't believe it's true: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/30/freddy-adu-training-in-england-with-blackpool/
"It is understood that the 24-year-old attacking midfielder is a friend of Blackpool’s caretaker boss Barry Ferguson, and there is little chance of him actually playing for the Championship club even if they could secure a work permit." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2548856/Freddy-Adu-training-Blackpool.html Sounds more like a personal favor by a friend. Perhaps he's just keeping in form until the NYCFC comes a-callin'.
Well Bowie was drafted over Michael Jordan, so I know at least one organization that over-rated him. And Sam Bowie was a serviceable center; that's all. Even his last year of college ball, he was a 10 pts, 9 reb guy. Nobody would be talking about him still if the Blazers weren't so stupid as to draft him above Jordan. But even then, people would have to have been skeptical about whether he'd even hit an all-star level. And if you seen him play, you'd know why. Ryan Leaf was a system QB. This is before NFL scouts were onto the fact that 5 WR sets could dramatically increase numbers. Even then, he didn't throw for 4,000 yards in college. He came to the NFL and never threw for more that 171.2 ypg or more than 51.0 Completion percentage in any of his three seasons. Of course he was over-rated. It'd be one thing if we could say that they actually had a great year, but they didn't. They're just players who have name recognition based on where they were drafted (or who they were drafted ahead of), and people relate. That doesn't mean they weren't over-rated. Because they clearly were.
..........please god say i wasnt the only one who watched that. Scratching northwestern England off the list of party destinations. I can see why the continentals hate british stag parties.... Is it really that hard to keep sober face for 15-30 seconds when it counts to get in the doors?