Adu heading to Benfica

American international winger Freddy Adu has will be joining Portuguese club SL Benfica. The Real Salt Lake player’s deal is pending the results of a medical.

An anonymous club official said the agreement could not yet been announced but was quoted as saying it was a done deal. As the player was met at the Lisbon airport yesterday, and joined a Benfica training session, it goes without saying.

Adu was featured on the front pages of a number of Portuguese sports papers with the headline “Son of Pele" and was met by a group of supporters.

While not the club most would have imagined him joining in Europe, this is probably a smart move. First of all, he gets Champions League football, realistic expectations and a regular starting place since Benfica sold Simao Sabrosa to Atletico Madrid last week.

Major League Soccer and Benfica agreed to a transfer fee of about 1m pounds for the 18 year old.

Adu has been the talisman of MLS since he signed with D.C. United at age 14 –the youngest player in the league's history. Now that Adu is 18, he is eligible to move to a foreign club under FIFA rules.

Benfica, Portuguese champions 31 times, finished third last season behind FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon and will play the third qualifying round of the Champions League next month.