America's new teenage footballing sensation Freddy Adu has put doubt to any speculation of a quick move to Europe, especially to either Chelsea or Manchester United in the English Premiership, by making a transfer move from his club of three years, D.C. United to fellow MLS rivals Real Salt Lake on Monday.

The 17-year-old teenage attacking midfielder, who is touted as one of the future stars of the game, has made a move from his club of three years, DC United, to join Real Salt Lake in Utah.

This will end an often fractious three-year stint at United for the highly rated teenager, who clashed with the Washington club coach after being frustrated by his bit-part role for the team.

The 17-year-old is hoping that his move will guarantee him the chance of consistent first-team football, with a manager that he has worked with before at under-17 international level.

Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger, Adu's former coach in the Under-17 U.S. international team is excited about the move, saying: "It will be fun to be reunited with him. It will be even more rewarding to have him score goals for us instead of against us."

Adu has said that his ultimate goal is to play for a European team, but under FIFA transfer rules, Adu is not allowed to transfer to a club outside the United States until he turns 18 on June 2, 2007.

He recently spent two weeks in training with Premiership giants Manchester United, but had to travel back to the States after being ineligible to play in England.

“He’s very confident and a very talented boy,” said Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson to Manutd.com. “But he will go back to America and we will keep a check on him.

“When he is 18 we will look at it again and see what we can do.”

Salt Lake general manager Steve Pastorino said Real Salt Lake hopes that their transfer of Adu, bringing him into a new environment, will keep him in the US with the club for some time.

"Our intent is to keep him here for several years," said Pastorino.

If Adu did decide to make a move to England in the summer, Manchester United will face stiff competition from English League rivals Chelsea FC, who have also shown major interest in the talented youth, who did also qualify to play at an international level with Ghana's Black Stars.

Adu became the youngest player ever in MLS history when, on April 3 2004, D.C. United featured Adu in DC United's first game of the 2004 season against the San Jose Earthquakes as a second-half substitute, making him the youngest player ever to appear in any United States professional sport since 1887.

He also became the youngest player to appear for the senior U.S. team last January against Canada after opting to play for the USA rather than Ghana’s Black Stars.

Real Salt Lake manager John Ellinger is over the moon with the transfer, and well aware of the prospective talents of Adu, saying: "Freddy is a pretty lethal player.

"I think he'll definitely make us a pretty potent offence."

"He's very happy about a fresh start," Ellinger said of his ability to settle in. "Pretty much everybody loves him wherever he goes."

Although he ended up starting 14 games in his first season, and 16 games in his second season for United, Adu publicly announced his displeasure about his amount of time on the pitch, also saying that the decision of DC United coach Peter Nowak not to feature him more regularly had ruined his chances of making Bruce Arena’s U.S. team for the 2006 World Cup. Nowak also suspended Adu for a 2005 MLS play-off match after one such outburst from Adu.

Nowak has said that he is sad to lose Adu, but he is realistic in understanding the teenager’s situation: "It is never easy to part with players, especially one like Freddy," said Nowak.

"Freddy desired to play a different role than the one we offered here at D.C. so we hope this move can aid that wish."

This year, Adu had a regular spot in the line-up and started 29 of United's 32 games, but he played on the wing instead of his preferred position in midfield.

Even though Adu scored 11 goals with 17 assists in his 87 appearances for DC United, and helped the team win the MLS Cup during his first season with the club, it became clear that he was becoming restless.

One of the first of the signs that Adu was opting for a move was after D.C. United's final game of the last season, a play-off loss to New England Revolution. Adu, after being upset at being substituted, said there were "serious talks" in the pipeline, to have him making a move to another club next season.

This move has now been made, but time will only tell as to whether Adu will stay in the US after he turns 18, but the prospect of playing in the one of the best leagues in the world, as well as the extra incentive of the huge amount of money involved in wages, might prove too much to resist for Adu.