As expected, Freddy Adu and Benfica finalized a five-year contract in Lisbon today and, after returning to his home in Maryland on Wednesday to pack up and say goodbye to friends and family, the 18-year-old midfielder will join the Portuguese club for good on Sunday.

Adu, his mother Emelia and his agent Richard Motzkin were scheduled to have dinner at a private residence tonight before flying home tomorrow. A family friend will travel with him back to Lisbon on Sunday.

One of my contacts in Portugal tells me that "the city is going wild for him. Over 100 people turned out at the airport just now because they wanted to see him off, but he isn't leaving until tomorrow. The waiters at the restaurant where I had lunch all came up to my table to ask about him just because they heard my American accent. He is getting ten times the publicity that [Argentina's Angel] Di Maria got."

Click here for video of Adu's arrival in Portugal yesterday.

I hope to speak to Freddy later today and will pass along his thoughts to Insider Nation asap.....

By Steve Goff  |  July 31, 2007; 1:40 PM ET
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