TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
The New York Red Bulls have acquired midfielder Youba Diarra on loan from RB Salzburg, the club announced Monday.
Diarra, a 22-year-old central midfielder, left his native Mali to join Salzburg in 2018. He has spent much of his time at the Austrian powerhouse out on loan, yet to make a competitive appearance for Salzburg. He has enjoyed loan stints at Wiener Neustädter SC, FC St. Pauli, TSV Hartberg and FC Liefering.
"Youba is an exciting player for us, as he has experienced success in a very similar style of play," head of sport Kevin Thelwell said in a club statement. "He has very good habits and a high work rate against the ball, and quality going forward, especially in transition. We expect Youba to be a good complement to our midfield group."
The midfielder is the latest offseason addition as Thelwell and head coach Gerhard Struber continue to put their stamp on the roster. Diarra joins following the likes of Brazilian forward Fabio, English right back Tom Edwards, Venezuelan midfielder Wikelman Carmona and Colombian defender Andres Reyes, among others.
RBNY finished sixth in the Eastern Conference last season, extending their playoff streak to 11 consecutive seasons, despite undergoing a coaching change midway through the campaign.
"Youba is a player with a very clear mindset, who always gives his best effort in every game," Struber said. "Physically, he is very dynamic, and there is an advantage that he already understands our style of play. We look forward to working with him to quickly integrate him into our team."
