Freddy Adu Nearing Deal with Serbian Club, His 10th Team in 10 Years

Freddy Adu, the once and future American soccer superstar is on the move … again. This time the 25-year-old is closing in on a transfer to a club team in Serbia (FK Jagodina, if you’re scoring at home). Ten years ago Adu debuted in MLS at 14 years old to an avalanche of hype, drawing comparisons to Pele. Now he’s approaching his tenth club in 10 years — an accomplishment, of sorts. The deal isn’t official, but Adu is in Serbia to watch his potential new club play a Europa League qualifier vs. Romania’s CFR Cluj.

Instead of listing all the stops during Adu’s vagabond-like, globe-spanning career, a screen grab of his Wikipedia makes a lot more sense:

If nothing else, Adu probably knows more about the Euro-to-Dollar exchange rate than the average American.

Adu also failed to catch on earlier this summer during trials with Blackpool (which at one point this summer had eight or so players under contract); Bob Bradley’s Norwegian team, Stæbek and AZ in the Netherlands. So the Serbian first division it is, playing for a team that Wikipedia tells me is nicknamed “The Turkeys.”

Somewhat remarkably, Adu was still in the U.S. National Team picture as recently as 2011 when he played in the Gold Cup final loss to Mexico — which doubled as Bradley’s final game in charge prior to Jurgen Klinsmann’s arrival. Adu also serves as example No. 428 why youth soccer development in America remains such a complex proposition. He’s also another reminder (I hope you’re sitting down) that projecting the future careers of teenagers, regardless of the sport, is often a fool’s errand.

Thankfully Adu looked thrilled to be there:

To all my American followers who are waiting for confirmation of this monumental transfer: Freddy Adu at the stadium! pic.twitter.com/tZ02ZY5F22
— Serbian Football (@SerbianFooty) July 24, 2014