Updated with quotes from audio of Adu talking to the press.
Photo: Adu at Bahia’s Arena Fonte Nova stadium. Courtesy of globoesporte.com
A report from Brazilian news outlet globoesporte.com has provided details of Freddy Adu’s arrival in Bahia on Thursday.
A “smiling and humorous” Adu described to reporters how he had researched Bahia on the internet before embarking on his trip.
“I’m pretty familiar with the team,” Adu said, “now I’m here to check out the city, meet the staff, meet the team, and, hopefully, everything goes well and we’re able to get something done as soon s possible…This has to be the right situation for me and for Bahia.”
Photo courtesy of @ecbahia_oficial
“At the end of the day, it’s about playing and helping Bahia win games. That’s the most important thing.”
When asked by reporters if he was excited to play for Bahia, Adu said, “I am very excited about the possibility of playing for Bahia. This league is the league that I think personally fits my style of play. I always try to base my game on the Brazilian style and to get a chance to be here, it would be amazing.”
Adu continued, “I never thought of my self as playing, quote-unquote, an American style, I based my game on the Brazilian style because I love that. I love being able to express yourself. Here, you’re allowed to express yourself, you’re allowed to play, you’re allowed to enjoy football. So this, I think, would fit my style really well.”
Adu explained that a deal has been in the works for sometime. “This is something that my agent and Tiago, and everybody has been working on for a while now. To get a chance, like I said, I hope everything does get done. Hopefully we’re able to come to an agreement and hopefully I get to play here because I would like to play here, for sure.”
The globoesporte.com report indicates that Adu, described as “the American Pele,” will undergo medicals on Friday before a deal involving a swap for Kleberson can be signed. “If no problem is detected, Adu signs a contract until the end of the year. The official presentation does not yet have a set date, but, depending on the tests this Friday, may happen next Monday, in Fazendão.”
When asked about his fitness, Adu said, “Oh, everything is fine. I’ve obviously been working out – I haven’t trained with an actual team but I have a program I’ve been doing from the trainer, so it’s good.”
According to the report, a deal for Adu would run through the end of the year and save Bahia R$100,000, or about US$50,000, per month in wages.
For a Google translation of the globoesporte.com report, click here.
For audio of Adu talking to the press, click here.
I was already leaving, we had decided, and it was just about finding the right situation.
Still confused on how this is working out. Are we taking some one else’s problem with a larger contract to get rid of our problem with a smaller contract?
I assume that Kleberson will be a DP, so we’d have to pay the same amount as we do now with Adu, and MLS will take the rest. Is that right, people who know more about these things?
I think the league pays whatever amount counts against the salary cap ($360,000 or so for over 23 i think) and the rest is paid by the team. I don’t know how much Klebersson is making right now.
1.2
Kleberson, is making the equivalent of 1.2 million dollars a year in Bahia.
From what I gather, the organization will pay a little bit more but it will count the same against the salary cap.
Assuming this goes through, I wish him well. I don’t subscribe to the idea that he’s be particularly mishandled here — this isn’t the first time he’s blamed everyone around him for his troubles — but I do hope he finds his niche and can use his time in Brazil to mine that potential we all know is there.
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By the way, this deal making Alejandro Moreno an ESPN analyst for Liga MX and Mexican national team games is brilliant: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/haydons-soccer-pitch/2013/mar/20/mls-star-alejandro-moreno-joins-espn-soccer-analys/. I just hope this isn’t another Taylor Twellman situation waiting to happen. It’s like Philly Union broadcasting is the farm team for the big networks.
Freddy Adu welcome to the first Brazilian Champion
Good luck to him.
+1
I remember when a “smiling and humorous” Adu arrived in Philadelphia… womp womp
he’s been looking for a team that fits his style for a long time
Adu: “Looks forward” to playing at Bahia, says Brasileiro Série A “fits my style of play” pig http://www.japan-guide.com/