Adu Saga at a Confusing Crossroads

3 to 4 million (dollars, I guess) for Adu is crazy spending for Benfica, that would be over 2 million euros for a teenager who has never played in an important league.

Crazy, Benfica has been getting players which are ready to step into the main team and CL games for less than that. Benfica does not have that much spending money this season, they seem to have spent a lot of it on Cardozo, lots more money only if they sell Simão, which would be catastrophic and that sale is thankfully looking unlikely at the moment. As comparison, Benfica has been getting some very promising teens either from its own academy or from abroad for a lot less. Right now talk is of Chile´s Mauricio Isla, who scored two goals in the world championship 3rd place game and sounds like a good backup for a position Benfica needs. Seems a lot more likely, wiser buy and cheaper than Adu. By the way, keep in mind that while Adu might be a promising teenager, Benfica already has quite a few of those, including some academy ones which have paid their dues. Usually the tradition is to try them out as loans first to small Lisbon region clubs like Massamá or Alverca or Odivelas, check their motivation and skill. To pay 2 million euros for a player to loan to one of these is insane. David Luiz walked to the main team when Luizão got injured and Fábio Coentrão seem s to have a chance to walk into it, but they already had plenty of experience, and some acclaim, in brazillian and portuguese second division leagues.

All talk in portuguese media seems to be american media says, so rumors seem to have started there, it could conceivably be just to put pressure on some other buyer. Adu has a lot of american marketing potential given, but I got doubts about Benfica´s marketing department´s efficiency at promoting anything to foreigners who are not “emigrantes”. Adu would be a lot more useful marketingwise to an english-speaking league I think, easier for american fans to follow. Plus Adu probably speaks no portuguese, is probably not used to competition for attention from other players his own age ( and the way Coentrão is going, that one is going to be a star. With Yu Dabao already very popular, and some pretty good academy kids looking solid), Fernando Santos is not a patient coach, Adu would have to be very good and very strong to succeed here. And he would only be a good investment for 2 million euros if he really shined.

It seems that Benfica sold Simao for 25 million euros!
It is now widely commented in Portugal that Adu is the player replacing Simao in Benfica and that he is already flying to Portugal! The president of Benfica, when inquired about, was not able to refute the news… even if refusing to confirm! Nowing the man, if he did not refuted the name, that is a pretty strong sign that something is going on…

Posted from  Israel

Oh, Simão, who can play nearly everywhere in attack, best player in the portuguese league a few years, one of the world´s best free kick and penalty kick takers, a winger who starts games for Portugal, scored a goal that eliminated european champions Liverpool from the CL. A kid who can not even impress in the american league is in no way adequate to even be talked on the same sentence as replacement. Not that the kid seems to be a winger, of which Benfica already has a teenage left winger who actually subbed for Simão in the Romania game.

Adu might still come as an extra as might Isla, but 20 million euros is a lot more than 2 million dollars, and LFV is going to have to bring a real replacement. As part of Simão deal, Zé Castro is looking like a very good deal.

I don´t know where you got “It is now widely commented in Portugal”, it is not what I am hearing it. I am hearing russian hints. All I can find about Adu somebody fishing to Vieira about it and Vieira refusing to make any comments, which is typical. Misdirection is useful if no contracts are signed, if you know anything about Benfica you know how often prospective players get appeals to move a bit northwards.