Maurice Edu

[Scotty]

Toronto midfielder Maurice Edu looks likely to be playing at Rangers in the next week or so !!

According to various blogs on this side of the pond, as well as the TFC fans website and such esteemed publications as the Glasgow Evening Times, MLS have agreed to the transfer in principle (they own the rights to all players in MLS) and Toronto FC and Rangers have agreed a fee in the region of $5m (?2.5m roughly).

The way MLS transfers work, TFC will get 67% of it and MLS get 33%. TFC are then allowed to use a certain amount of it towards 'allocation money' ($500k) - that money can be used to sign players or to pay a player a bit extra so that their official wage is under the salary cap ..... the remaining cash ($2.85m) is supposed to be used for 'development'.

Edu was the MLS young player of the year last year and I have a feeling that after an initial struggle, he may be quite good at Rangers ... IF he can get used to the goldfish bowl that is Glasgow and also keep his ego in check !!!

[Glebeict]

Hate to see anyone going to Rangers

[Kingsmills]

The signing seems to have been confirmed.

[Scotty]

subject to work permit - which he will get no problem.

From my personal point of view, its a blow as he is an exciting young player and most Toronto fans were looking forward to seeing him develop at TFC before he inevitably moved to the Premiership (Aston Villa almost bought him last season after we played them in a friendly).

He was excellent last year in a mediocre team and deservedly won the Young Player of the Year trophy (Rookie of the Year in MLS-speak). But this season he seems to have suffered what they call the "sophomore jinx" where a good debut season is followed by an average second season. quite a few TFC fans are saying its because his ego has exploded and he seems to spend more time on his website or facebook telling people how good he is but even an average Edu is still a decent player.

More worrying is the fact that Mo Johnston, while not bringing in anyone to strengthen a struggling team before the transfer window closed last weekend, has, in the last two weeks overseen the departure of a couple of capable players in Jeff Cunningham (99 MLS goals) and now Edu. In the case of Edu, he seems to have actively recommended him to Walter Smith in a move that will strengthen Rangers but weaken his current team and that may well be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Johnston.