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TORONTO — As the final details were being worked out Saturday in Glasgow, it appeared that the acquisition of a work permit was the only hurdle left before Toronto FC midfielder Maurice Edu joins Rangers of the Scottish Premier League.
Edu was scheduled to attend the Rangers' season home opener against Hearts on Saturday, a 2-0 victory for the home side, to discuss the final details of his $5-million (U.S.) transfer from Major League Soccer.
Edu, the MLS rookie of the year in 2007 after being the first player taken in the league's SuperDraft, will then return to the United States to join that country's national side for a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.
Rangers manager Walter Smith confirmed his club's interest in Edu, who has just returned from the Olympics where the U.S. team was eliminated this week, but said, "But that depends on a work permit so it will be a few days before we know about that."
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While Edu is a midfielder he was used as a central defender in the Olympics and played well there.
"We had asked Maurice (TFC manager Johnston) if he thought there were any players in the American league whom he thought would do well, and he recommended two or three players," Smith said in a report from Glasgow.
"The clubs don't own the players over there so the MLS are happy to let him go. We are in the final stages of tying everything up, but we still have to apply for the work permit. He is only 22 and has played the last number of internationals, so I'd hope we will get him all right. And he's played in the Olympics."
Toronto FC would receive two-thirds of the transfer fee and that would be put into the team.
