Freddy Adu Will Not Join Union When Camp Opens Next Week

The ongoing saga of Freddy Adu raged on today as Philadelphia Union manager and head coach John Hackworth told Mlssoccer.com that the 23 year old would not open camp with the team next week.  With the 2013 MLS SuperDraft having just wrapped up, many thought Freddy would be gone as early as the first round, but no move was made.  When asked about how the Adu situation would be handled, Hackworth had this to say, “There is [a decision that has to be made]. Freddy and I talked. We talk regularly. So until we get into camp I want to defer that one and address it at that time.”

The talk of Freddy Adu leaving really heated up near the tail end of the season.  When John Hackworth took over the team, it was clear the two were not on the same page.  Adu had a specific role he thought he should filling with the Union, playing forward, but Hackworth had other ideas.  Adu made his opinions heard, and fell out of favor not just with the Union, but with the team’s fan base.  Adu’s future departure from the team was made even more evident when the Union re-signed fan favorite striker Sebastien Le Toux, giving him Adu’s old number 11 in the process.

Unfortunately, Adu is a hard sell.  Adu comes with a rather large price tag due to his DP designation.  Not just that, whoever may pick him up is bringing on an extremely vocal player, which could bring unwanted drama to a squad.  In all likelihood, Philadelphia will bite the bullet and end up paying most of his salary in 2013, but at this point, it seems pretty clear that they would rather do that than keep him around.

Adu scored just five goals with one assist on 24 appearances for the Union in 2012.  Despite his lack of offensive contribution, Adu did help create a lot of chances for his team during the course of the season.  Stay tuned to the Philly Sports Live Soccer Desk for more information on just where Freddy Adu will end up in 2013.

Source: Major League Soccer