judging by his reaction to the way RSL was playing yesturday, it looks like Freddy wants out ASAP and hasnt exactly hidden his desire to play in the EPL. The thing is.....he isnt exactly going to come crashing down the gates and starting at Chelsea or Manchester United as must of us had hoped for earlier in his career. Far from it. In fact there are plenty of teams who would probably choose wholeheartedly to not pay for his services (Big 4, West Ham, Everton, Bolton, Blackburn, Newcastle, Tottenham, Middlesborough, are quite content with their CM positions at the moment apparently). There are a few however, that fit the bill and IMO he could probably hit the ground running. Reading: BEST choice hands down IMO. Kitison wants out in the worst way, and they have NO depth at center mid....to the point that Convey is being talked up as taking the helm in the middle for Reading next season. Wouldnt mind seeing that at all, but I think Adu would fit in quite nicely. It only makes sense. Charlton: An extraordinary IF if they stay up, but in the event they do, they need at least one compotent midfielder.....at least one. Their CMs in particular are league one quality. Hopefully Freddy could help out with that. Fulham: I wouldnt count on it, but i can only imagine the orgy that the YA board would break into if that did happen. Manchester City: I could name quite a few posters in here who would be against this in the strongest terms, not exactly a cohesive loker room with the Citizens right now. If they take out the trash like Ball and Barton, they might be able to turn it around. City need a playmaker in the middle pretty bad as well. Sunderland: in most cases im completely against it, but at the helm of this sunderland squad is one Roy Keane. Whithead is a decent player but Id tip Freddy to beat him out. Sunderland also have a massive warchest to make such a move comfortable. I think Sunderland survive next season no problem. Only promoted side id like to see him go to. Aston Villa: probably the most competitive side Freddy actually has a chance of cracking, Villa have looked quite clinical in the second half of the season. Wouldnt be a bad destination either. .......Manchester United: If he is indeed hell bent on a big club, and i see no reason why they wouldnt still be interested, this is the most likely of the big four he has a chance of cracking. Carrick is good.....but maybe down the road that can be Freddy's position, id say a bare minimum of three years before it happens. If Freddy wants to wait, be patient, and take a chance and isnt worried about playing reserves for awhile and/or being loaned out, this is the smart place to go if he wants to role the dice.
He should set his sights on a Championship side, Belgian or Dutch team. He's simply not ready for the Premiership. Not even close. A year in Europe would be good for him just as it was for Convey.
I agree If Dempsey is having a hard time starting on an EPL team then Adu will have a harder time. He should look at the Eredivisie or maybe the Championship
Best would be for him to transfer to one of the bigger Premiership sides and then immediately be sent on a season long loan to a Championship side like Watford, Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers.
I wonder sometimes if Adu wouldn't get better breaks in Europe than he has in MLS. One thing that nobody denies is that the kid has unbelievable skill - probably the most gifted player on the ball in US Soccer. I don't think that's an exaggeration, though Donovan and Dempsey fans may argue, and they may be right. This U20 tournament will be interesting, to say the least. I for one am excited to compare Freddy against age-group competition that is still a couple years ahead of him, instead of adult professionals in a league that commonly rewards thuggery (I have nothing against MLS, but the fact is defenders in the league get away with crap that would have them carded out of games in a hurry elsewhere). What if Freddy lights up the U20s? What if he leads the US team to their best finish ever? What if he looks better there than other U20 classes before him? Will US fans temper their expectations and realize he's still just a kid in the development process? I doubt it, but European scouts may feel differently. If Freddy lights it up, MLS and RSL can say goodbye. And I'd be thrilled for him.
good points all around. But i dont think it will be a question of if he is ready or not, itll be a question of who wants to reap the benefits of the potential motherlode Adu could bring in to the american market, and the potential millions that could be in store. Economics speaks volumes, and if that means you feld Freddy Adu, I think there are quite a few clubs that would take that compromise. the U-20 team will be good i think, we're in a tough group. But we have Adu, Altidore, Szetela, Ward, Bradley, Rogers, theres qualityin all of them. And i agree this tourneyment will tell a big part of the tale in where these players stand
It's Sidwell who is leaving Reading in the summer on a free. You're getting your gingers confused.. Coppell likes cheap, two way midfielders and Freddy is neither.. my 2cents.. The Dutch or French leagues are where he should be looking.. He's not good or strong enough for the EPL just yet.. The main problem is that Freddy has been hyped up for so long, only a bigger club can afford him, and he's not good enough (yet).. Even a club like PSV or AJAX won't pay the 8-10million MSL will be looking for ...
Didn't notice this before, but you certainly mean Sidwell, right? Kitson is a striker, whom I understand, is perfectly happy with where he is right now.
No. He shouldn't start on some MLS teams. Freddy's talented, but flashes of brilliance do not a consistent starter make. (Not just bitterness talking since I'm a DC fan, I just think he still has progress to be made).
this kid will be an enormous amount better with better players around him. I'd be happy with Spanish or French league, or prem with a loan somewhere.
I disagree with this philosophy. Too often we see these players loaned out, only for them to get called back half-way through the season because of an injury crisis. More often than not, they then sit on the bench without playing. Of course, there are always exceptions and I'm not saying it never works out. I just think it's better to be in a stable environment where you feel part of an organization and a sense of permanence. If you play well, then you move on to the big teams. Freddy should go to PSV, Herenveen or some other comparable club, prove that he can play and then make the jump. If Brazilians and Argentinians (Juninho, Tevez, Mascherano, D'Alessandro, Heinze) can go to mid-tier sides to start their European adventure, so can Freddy Adu.
I think Freddy has to stop using the media to create interest in himself and stop complaining about where he is playing and instead focus on himself and improving his play so that he earns opportunities instead of just expecting others to give them to him. He is now an adult and he needs to realize his overhyped youth days are over and what he does on the field is what matters and what will ultimately determine if higher level oppotunities come to him. All that said, I agree with others who recommend the championship league level in Britain or the 2nd or 3rd level in Europe as where he belongs at this point.
If there's any transfer, it'll be announced as "MLS to ManU" deal but he'll end up at Ajax or PSV ... with Nike paying his salary. And the thing is, he is not good enough for either Ajax or PSV, let alone Manchester freakin' United.
Id have no problem with that scenario whatsoever. Im not making the arguement is he good enough or not, im making the arguement will someone foot the bill just to get the windfall of the american market. And yes.....a club like Manchester United certainly would think it is. A club as rich as manchester united is more than happy to oblige by throwing 10 million pounds with a potential windfall of millions....even if it means he doesnt see a minute of play, its simple economics. And i agree...he has absolutely no business starting at manchester united (right now...hopefully 3 or 4 years down the line), however, i dont think he has any apprehensions to being loaned out or playing reserves for a little while. Putting it bluntly, he is sick and tired of the MLS, he is completely over it. Who knows, maybe getting on a Euro squad will enhance his progress, we can only hope. Also im on the assumption i read an article...dont have a link right now....Adu wants to play premier league soccer, it made his intentions pretty clear. I think itdll be happening too. On that note, what of the massive windfall some of these clubs will be making for the new Barclays deal? 10 mill is still a pretty penny, but it could be on par with the hurt of 5 mill this season due simply to the amount of income. And i think ill put my foot down....at least on Whithead of Sunderland, I think Adu is at least of more quality than him. If Whithead will be starting EPL next season, Adu could too. Adu does have a decent amount of skill about him, just not the size....maybe a year toiling around at a lower side like Sunderland, Man City,....maybe even Charlton if they stay up. Lower end teams tend to make bold dynamic choices on where they spend their money. And yes, Clint Dempsey is an example. While i have no doubt dempsey is better, far less skilled players have been sold for much more by clubs willing to take a chance.....Samaras anyone??? That didnt turn out really well now did it. But the windfall is going to have the biggest say in the matter in the end, alot of these other teams are going to make bigger splashes than they would normally because of it. Adu is one hellova risk,and thats an understatement and a half, but i think in the end he does have the skill to play with a lower EPL team. I also think it is his own teammates that are bringing him down in this case too, RSL are pretty bad, and i was sympathetic to some of Adu's frustration, he put in some good balls that just werent taken advantage of by RSL that even a club like City, Sunderland, Charlton, Villa, Fulham, or Reading would. Maybe playing with more skilled players will advance his game quicker? All and all, Manchester United is still his most likely destination this summer IMO. 10 million is pennies to Man U, and the upside of Adu's stock might be too good for them to pass up, just the principle of it monetarily would encourage them to make a move. Hopefully he gets loaned out a year or two and then can be competitive with Carrick.
Fredy is 17, and can not only play in this world YOUTH championship but the next one in 2009 as well.
Being fromt he Virginia area I have heard about Freddy since he appeared on a U/14 youth team at the same height and with the same voice he has today. No one believed he was 13 then and anyone from the Northen Virginia / Southern Maryland believes he is 17 now. If you want to hang your hat on a player with promise who is known to be 17 choice Altidore who no one raises doubts about. Personally I do not even care how old Freddy is. 17, 21 , whatever, it just does not matter anymore. At this point he can no longer hide behind the " he is only ___ years old" talk and has to show that he can do what he claims against Adults.
kind of different question to everyone, with the comotion at RSL, and he is known to be unhappy, does he go at the tick of his brithdate...or stay?
Wow, you must be the first person to think Freddy's not 17, your so cool. Maybe you could get a job as a tabloid journalist the way you state things based on guesses instead of any actual proof. I'm not in the habit of calling people liars without proof so if Freddy and everyone else in the soccer world calls him 17 i'm going with it.