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Soccer odds: Freddy Adu headed to France
By Jordan WaltersWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
| Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook |
Less than a week after being named to the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team, midfielder Freddy Adu will be loaned by Benfica in Portugal to Monaco in France’s Ligue 1.
Adu signed with the Lisbon club a year ago after four years in Major League Soccer. At Benfica, Adu made 21 appearances (only two starts), but he scored five goals.
Before the deal with Monaco, Adu was offered to several MLS teams through an agent, but the L.A. Galaxy, the New York Red Bulls and the Seattle Sounders all passed on Adu who, if he returned to MLS, would count as a designated player under the league’s salary and roster rules.
Monaco will have the option to buy the Ghana-born player at the end of his loan. Adu, incidentally, may miss the start of Monaco’s season as he will be part of the U.S. squad for next month's Olympic Games in China.
Adu moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of 8 and at 14 became the youngest player ever to sign a professional MLS contract. He started his MLS career with D.C. United in 2004, being twice selected in the All-Star lineup, and was traded to Real Salt Lake in December 2006 before leaving six months later to join Benfica.
Adu is expected to replace Martinique and France international Frederic Piquionne. Monaco finished 12th in the 20-team Ligue 1 after languishing on the edge of the relegation zone with a month to go in the season.
Monaco has a nucleus of young talent - Jeremy Menez, Serge Gakpe and Djamel Bakar are among France's top young players - but it has been rather quiet on the summer transfer market. However, it has been linked in acquiring Michael Bradley, who has become a mainstay in the U.S. midfield.
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