CHESTER, Pa. – When Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin thinks about his team next season, he envisions a backline anchored by Designated Player Maurice Edu.
For that to happen, though, the Union not only need to open their wallet to purchase Edu’s contract from Stoke City, but also convince Edu to play center back instead of midfield.
Curtin is confident in both.
“I hope he’s in a Union jersey going forward and I think he will be,” Curtin told MLSsoccer.com. “I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll be able to make something work.”
Edu enjoyed a solid season for the Union while on a one-year loan from Stoke City, showing his versatility as both a central midfielder and a center back. But despite his success, Edu’s future with the cub has been uncertain, in large part because keeping him will be a pricey proposition.
Curtin, though, is pushing the Union’s ownership group to bring him back because of the athleticism he can bring to center back – a position, the Union head coach said, that Edu is open to play on a more permanent basis.
And Curtin is excited about what the potential big-money center back pairing of Edu and Carlos Valdes can bring to the club, noting that “you can’t put a price on shutouts.”
“Mo’s a soccer player,” Curtin said. “He’s willing to play center back, for sure. If you look at his record when we played center back, it was successful. … He’s the kind of guy that, when you talk to owners, can shut down the $5 to $7 million player. David Villa’s coming in, Kaka’s coming in, and Maurice Edu can shut those guys down physically. And, soccer-wise, he can play with those guys. And he doesn’t cost $7 million.”
Curtin was less optimistic about the return of Amobi Okugo, a similar player to Edu who can also play both center back and midfield. The Union head coach said they were finalizing a formal offer to the out-of-contract franchise original, but he remains relatively convinced that Okugo will give Europe a go.
“I’ve talked to him for several years that when you’re young is the time to try something like that,” Curtin said. “We’re pretty confident he’s going to take that option.”
While Okugo’s exit would free up some money, Curtin is bracing for the fact that it likely won't sit well with fans.
“I recognize he’s a very popular guy,” the Union coach said. “He’s a popular guy in our locker room and he’s an important part to our team, as well ... We’ll see how it goes. We’ll see if he’s back. There is some unknown there.”
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for MLSsoccer.com. Email him at djzeitlin@gmail.com.
