Real Salt Lake's Axel Kei, 14, tops Freddy Adu mark as youngest MLS signing

[Anonymous]

Real Salt Lake have signed 14-year-old Axel Kei to a homegrown contract, making him the youngest signing in Major League Soccer history.

At 14 years, 15 days, Kei is 153 days younger than Freddy Adu when he signed with DC United after being selected in the MLS SuperDraft in 2004. The contract is for two years.


"Over the last year Axel has proven to be one of the top attacking prospects in the country,"

https://www.espn.com/soccer/real-salt-lake/story/4570052/real-salt-lakes-axel-kei14tops-freddy-adu-mark-as-youngest-mls-signing

He is playing with 17-18 years and still catches your eye. Interesting back ground. Real says they will keep him with the Academy team for a few years. Hope he continues to develop. I think about 1/2 the MLS soccer teams are moving to a development model/selling club. They are beginning to realize they can make good money developing and selling. Can only help the USMNT.

[Anonymous]

The only person this worked out for was Doogie Houser.

[Anonymous]

I think the money developing and selling will be nice until federal courts get involved. 14/15/16 years olds can't contract, so all it takes is one of them saying no and going where they want at 18 for the whole system to implode.

[Anonymous]

This is an honest question: what does this contract mean? how much is Kei getting paid for it? Does he become a free agent afterwards? I googled this, but most websites focused on his age but didn't go into details.

[Anonymous]

Adu was playing an MLS Cup by the end of his first season, and was an impactful player on that squad coming off the bench down the stretch. I don't think this kid will be at that level a year from now, but hopefully for him he is still in position in 4 years to get regular first team minutes for a team somewhere. He might not be at Benfica by the time he's 18 but we'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adu was playing an MLS Cup by the end of his first season, and was an impactful player on that squad coming off the bench down the stretch. I don't think this kid will be at that level a year from now, but hopefully for him he is still in position in 4 years to get regular first team minutes for a team somewhere. He might not be at Benfica by the time he's 18 but we'll see.

That's a reflection of how terrible MLS was more than anything else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Real Salt Lake have signed 14-year-old Axel Kei to a homegrown contract, making him the youngest signing in Major League Soccer history.

At 14 years, 15 days, Kei is 153 days younger than Freddy Adu when he signed with DC United after being selected in the MLS SuperDraft in 2004. The contract is for two years.


"Over the last year Axel has proven to be one of the top attacking prospects in the country,"

https://www.espn.com/soccer/real-salt-lake/story/4570052/real-salt-lakes-axel-kei14tops-freddy-adu-mark-as-youngest-mls-signing

He is playing with 17-18 years and still catches your eye. Interesting back ground. Real says they will keep him with the Academy team for a few years. Hope he continues to develop. I think about 1/2 the MLS soccer teams are moving to a development model/selling club. They are beginning to realize they can make good money developing and selling. Can only help the USMNT.

14 years old? Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an honest question: what does this contract mean? how much is Kei getting paid for it? Does he become a free agent afterwards? I googled this, but most websites focused on his age but didn't go into details.

You can see 2021 MLS player salaries here: https://mlsplayers.org/resources/salary-guide

Typically, but not always, homegrown players are on the lower end of a team’s salary range. For Real Salt Lake now, it looks like the annual salaries range from what I assume is the league minimum, $63,547 (more with bonuses, etc.), to $2.15 million. After 2 years, he’ll be free to sign elsewhere, but his next club will may owe RSL a transfer fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an honest question: what does this contract mean? how much is Kei getting paid for it? Does he become a free agent afterwards? I googled this, but most websites focused on his age but didn't go into details.

You can see 2021 MLS player salaries here: https://mlsplayers.org/resources/salary-guide

Typically, but not always, homegrown players are on the lower end of a team’s salary range. For Real Salt Lake now, it looks like the annual salaries range from what I assume is the league minimum, $63,547 (more with bonuses, etc.), to $2.15 million. After 2 years, he’ll be free to sign elsewhere, but his next club will may owe RSL a transfer fee.

He's 14. He can legally renounce the contract tomorrow and sign elsewhere

[Anonymous]

He may possibly look less like a 14 year old than Freddy Adu did at that alleged age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He may possibly look less like a 14 year old than Freddy Adu did at that alleged age.

Freddy was 14. He grew early. Stop with the conspiracy theories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He may possibly look less like a 14 year old than Freddy Adu did at that alleged age.

Freddy was 14. He grew early. Stop with the conspiracy theories.

It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s a majority opinion for people who paid attention based on facts and the history of poor birth documentation practices in many parts of Africa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He may possibly look less like a 14 year old than Freddy Adu did at that alleged age.

Freddy was 14. He grew early. Stop with the conspiracy theories.

It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s a majority opinion for people who paid attention based on facts and the history of poor birth documentation practices in many parts of Africa.

I know Freddy, see him once a week, and have spoken with him about this. And I'm VERY confident in saying that it's not true. There...end to theory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He may possibly look less like a 14 year old than Freddy Adu did at that alleged age.

Freddy was 14. He grew early. Stop with the conspiracy theories.

It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s a majority opinion for people who paid attention based on facts and the history of poor birth documentation practices in many parts of Africa.

I know Freddy, see him once a week, and have spoken with him about this. And I'm VERY confident in saying that it's not true. There...end to theory.

Did you know him back in the day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He may possibly look less like a 14 year old than Freddy Adu did at that alleged age.

Freddy was 14. He grew early. Stop with the conspiracy theories.

It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s a majority opinion for people who paid attention based on facts and the history of poor birth documentation practices in many parts of Africa.

I know Freddy, see him once a week, and have spoken with him about this. And I'm VERY confident in saying that it's not true. There...end to theory.

Did you know him back in the day?

I did and still do. It’s not a conspiracy theory. He wasn’t 14 and this kid isn’t 14 either.