After enduring four difficult, lesson-filled years in MLS, Freddy Adu is off to Portuguese giant Benfica. The New York Times’ Jack Bell reflects on the 18-year-old’s time in MLS with league deputy commission Ivan Gazidis, who concedes that the expectations heaped on the 14-year-old when he joined D.C. United were “unrealistic.” Few would argue that the marketing blast surrounding his debut had a detrimental effect on his development. It’s one thing for an established superstar like David Beckham to be thrust into that kind of environment; it’s quite another thing for a young boy. Nevertheless, Gazidis says that Freddy “is still one of the best young players the U.S. has ever had,” and that “if we again had the opportunity to sign Freddy again at age 14, we would do exactly the same thing.”
As part of the $2 million deal sending him to Benfica, MLS will recoup the $500K per year salary it paid the youngster over the last three-and-a-half seasons. In addition, the league will receive an unspecified share of any future transfer fees if Benfica sells the player to another club.
As Bell and many others have pointed out, selling Freddy before the end of the season was good business for everyone. Adu’s contract was set to expire at the end of the year; the league could have exercised a two-year option, but that would mean increasing his salary and making him a designated player. Instead, MLS allowed him out of his contract so he could negotiate personal terms with Benfica. Real Salt Lake, his former club, will receive no transfer fee.