HANOVER, N.J. – The New York Red Bulls’ quiet summer might not be all that quiet for much longer.
MLS' transfer window slammed shut on Wednesday with the Red Bulls seemingly inactive, an odd state of affairs for a club that has brought in big names like Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill and Rafa Márquez at midseason. But sporting director Andy Roxburgh told reporters on Friday that the club is looking at a number of potential moves. Three, to be exact.
“We are working on things,” Red Bulls sporting director Andy Roxburgh. “There’s still a couple of things that we’re thinking about. In one case, we’re talking about maybe a trade because the trades are wide open. We’ve been discussing that – in fact, we’re in the middle of it right this minute – and there’s a couple of things in the pipeline, let me put it that way.
“There’s actually three different things at the moment I’m trying to bring to a conclusion and hopefully in the coming week or 10 days or so [I can do so] just to add an extra dimension to help us for this next two-and-a-half-months' run-in and then hopefully playoffs.”
One of those moves could be adding a third Designated Player, but that would entail either signing someone to a pre-contract for the 2015 season or someone who currently holds free-agent status given that the transfer window is shut.
In any case, Roxburgh said the club is looking for help at the midfield and forward positions. That might be somewhat odd considering that New York’s main issues this season have been on the defensive side. But that's the approach the Red Bulls are taking while not being all that concerned with soon-to-be crosstown rivals New York City FC's headline-grabbing moves.
“When people talk about Man. City, they’re signing a couple of players,” said Roxburgh, referring to NYCFC’s owners. “They’ve got to sign players. They don’t have any. They don’t have any players. What [outsiders are] telling me, I have to get rid of Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill so I can bring two big DPs? I find that rather amusing in a way.
"Yes, there is the one DP slot, but we’re already working on something on that one that we wanted to do and hopefully I can [talk] about that in the coming days.”
Something Roxburgh talked about, though not in great detail, was the attention that Bradley Wright-Phillips is currently garnering from clubs around the world. The Englishman currently leads the league in scoring with 18 goals, but it is the manner in which he is scoring some of them that has drummed up serious interest.
“I know he’s talked to his agent the other day. There’s all sorts of interest now,” said Roxburgh. “He’s not only the top goal-scorer in the league, but scoring against Bayern [in Wednesday's MLS All-Star Game] and the way he scored, that’s attracting all sorts of interest.”
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by e-mail at Franco8813@gmail.com.
