source: mlsnet.com

The race is on for Freddy Adu's signature, as Chelsea are rumoured to be negotiating a £5 million fee with MLS. Adu's club D.C. United have responded by saying they expect him to stay until the end of the 2007 season.

I'm on DC United's side for the following reasons:

• Three words (or two depending on how you feel about hyphenation): Shaun Wright-Phillips. It would be career suicide for Adu to spend the next few years in Chelsea's reserves. He's not even playing regularly at DC United yet.
• Though he is brilliant on the ball, Adu needs to work on what he does off the ball. Too often he stands around waiting, which won't go down well in the Premiership. Basically, he's not ready.
• If Adu moves abroad and fails, it will reflect badly on MLS. I'm sure they'd prefer to export something closer to the finished product, as opposed to a work in progress. He'll benefit from a long run of first team football, and there seems to be an agreement at DC United that he will get that in 2006.
• Adu's nationality is American/Ghanaian. Whichever he chooses he'll need a work permit to play in England and right now he doesn't meet the criteria. To do so he'll need to play regualrly for the national team first.
• He's only 16. Everyone be patient.