How bad have things become for one-time wunderkind Freddy Adu? Bad. Why bad? Well, according to goal.com, he was recently told by Benfica coach Jorge Jesus that he’s “no longer needed at the club.” The curt dismissal is yet another sobering blow to the once white-hot future of the 20-year-old American forward, who was flush with potential and seemed poised for success upon signing with the famed Portuguese side in 2007.
With his EuroTrip stalled out not only in Iberia but also in France (on loan with AS Monaco), Adu now has set his sights on the Netherlands, telling Sportweek, “I grew up with the Dutch league and I would love to play in the Netherlands.” The diminutive striker sees the Dutch Eredivisie as “the perfect league to kick-start your international career if you’re a young foreign player.”
Accepting that he’s not exactly in a position to select a club, Adu is smartly keeping his options open, admitting that “it’s not like I’m only interested in joining a big team such as Ajax or Feyenoord. I’d be more than happy to join a smaller team like Groningen or NAC. I’m not that picky at the moment. I’m happy as long as I can play first-team football.”