Bahia will not extend Freddy Adu's contract

Yesterday, reports surfaced that the Brazilian club Bahia will not keep former D.C. United striker Freddy Adu around when contract expires in December making him a free agent once again.

Bahia's director of football told Lance!Net this in regard to Adu:

"He does not play because there are others who are superior. He is very dedicated. I have nothing bad to say about him off the field. I have talked with him, and Adu understands the situation. He is very professional."

During his short time with Bahia Adu rarely even appeared for the squad, playing in just four games and never scoring a goal or assisting on one. He has not appeared on the game day roster since September 7th.

The failure in Brazil is another unfortunate mark on Adu's career. At just 24 years old, the striker is still very young and has time to rewrite the narrative of his career thus far if he can land on a team, earn a starting job, and eventually find success.

Since his signing with D.C. United in 2004, which made him the youngest player in MLS history and at the time, the highest paid, Adu has experienced a variety of disappointment and has yet to live up to the hype of being "the next Pele".

Bright spots in Adu's career include his early days with DCU where he scored 12 goals in 87 appearances and was even named to two all star teams. Since his departure from the club in 2006, he has bounced around the world including stints with MLS teams Real Salt Lake and most recently the Philadelphia Union last season.

In total, Bahia was Adu's ninth team in ten years as a pro and he has yet to really establish himself as a solid contributor at the club level, or the international level for that matter. He started in the 2011 Gold Cup final for the U.S. in a 4-2 loss to Mexico but has yet to appear in a game since under current Head Coach, Jurgen Klinsman.

So what's next for Adu? Is a return to MLS possible? Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl shared his thoughts on what Adu's future may hold:

After making some calls on Thursday, I learned that for now the NASL (the U.S. second division) is not a destination that is currently on Adu's radar screen. One possibility may be Mexico, which could potentially suit Adu's playing style and has been the site of career revivals for U.S. players like DaMarcus Beasley and Hérculez Gómez.

Other leagues could present themselves as destinations for Adu in early 2014, including MLS.

Would you like to see Freddy Adu return to MLS? How about with D.C. United?