AMSTERDAM – Multiple Eredivisie clubs are among the European crowd already lining up for a shot at free agent forward Juan Agudelo, who has mutually terminated his Stoke City pact after a second work permit denial by the UK Home Office on Friday.
Sources in the Netherlands have confirmed to MLSsoccer.com that the 21-year-old US international, fresh off a loan stint with FC Utrecht, has considerable interest around a league well-known for shaping attackers. It is not yet known if the Galgenwaard Stadion club are among those who intend an attempt at signing Agudelo on a permanent deal.
The New York Red Bulls academy product, who joined Stoke in January after running out of contract with the New England Revolution, notched three goals and three assists in 14 Eredivisie matches to help Utrecht maintain their regular place in the top flight. After the first work permit rejection with Stoke, Agudelo also had loan interest from league rivals FC Twente and NEC Nijmegen, among others.
Despite the relative lack of US caps that forced the youngster to seek a UK work permit appeal, he is currently sweating the announcement of Jurgen Klinsmann's 30-man pre-World Cup camp roster on Monday. Agudelo is widely considered a bubble candidate in a deep forward pool, but may have revived some hope with a Man-of-the-Match show in his last loan game for Utrecht.
