After protracted negotiations that stretched out over two months, New York Red Bulls sporting director Denis Hamlett is already feeling the impact of the player they call Kaku joining the club’s payroll.
“I finally was able to sleep in after six in the morning,” he quipped, “which was a good thing.”
Hamlett’s remarks on a conference call came a day after officially announcing the signing of 23-year-old Argentine midfielder Alejandro Romero Gamarra from Huracán, a deal some South American outlets considered sealed well before New Year's.
While the process -- which in the end included a reported club record $6.25 million transfer fee -- clearly wasn’t as straightforward as it first appeared, Hamlett insisted the patience was worth it.
The reason? While many Latin American imports come to MLS with the on-the-ball skills to change games, Hamlett believes Romero Gamarra also has the brains and work ethic to thrive in the Red Bulls’ high press.
“When we started to talk to him and see how engaged he was in terms of the types of questions he was asking, we just started to see that this was a player that can fit New York and can play in our system,” Hamlett said.
“It was nice to see a player who goes and gets the ball, because we put a lot of focus on that,” he continued. “We know with the ball, his ability to change the game, it’s something different.”
Hamlett expects the Red Bulls’ coaching staff to take an open-minded approach over the next couple weeks of training in deciding Romero Gamarra's best position within head coach Jesse Marsch’s starting XI.
“We’ve seen him play multiple positions, as a No. 10, out left, out wide, sometimes a little bit deeper,” Hamlett said. “I know Jesse and his staff, they enjoy players who have that kind of flexibility.”
Romero Gamarra has only joined the Red Bulls for training over the past couple days. The timeline suggests it’s unlikely he figures into their competitive opener next Thursday against Olimpia in the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16.
“He hasn’t played since December,” Hamlett said. “He’s been out for a while. So we have to be smart and mindful to make sure that we bring him along the right way. It’s a long season, so we want to make sure he can contribute from a physical standpoint [and] also a tactical standpoint.”
