Thursday marked the start of Major League Soccer’s Secondary Transfer Window and the New York Red Bulls are looking to strengthen their current roster. New York made headlines on Wednesday when they announced the signing of Swedish midfielder Gustav Berggren and they are reportedly not finished yet.
The elephant in the room, of course, is their interest in bringing over German striker Timo Werner to boost their attack. However, the negotiations stage has been somewhat challenging for both New York and Werner, with no agreement in place. With that in mind, the Red Bulls have other options to explore to improve their playoff chances.
Unlike other soccer leagues around the world, the way MLS teams construct their rosters is somewhat complex. Fortunately, MLS columnist Matt Doyle provided excellent insight on the Red Bulls’ current roster situation in a published piece last Thursday.
Essentially, New York has one Designated Player (DP) slot available to use. The DP rule allows for the acquisition of three players who exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge ($743,750 per player). Furthermore, this year, if a DP player who’s at least 24 years old joins after the opening of this current window, his budget charge will be $371,875. Currently, the Red Bulls have two players in the DP slots, which are captain Emil Forsberg and forward Eric Choupo-Moting.
Berggren will not take up that third DP slot, so New York can still go out and find someone for it. This presents the question: if Werner doesn’t join New York, who will then? Based on what has been reported and also on the imagination of fans, there are a few options they can entertain at striker.
Wessam Abou Ali
Abou Ali has garnered interest from the Columbus Crew recently, and the two sides have been in talks. However, nothing about an agreement has been official, so there is a slight chance New York could still sign him. If New York were able to beat the Crew in bringing over the Palestinian international, it would be a great pickup for them.
A current member of the Egyptian club Al Ahly, Abou Ali is coming off a strong FIFA Club World Cup tournament. Notably, Abou Ali earned a hat-trick against a great FC Porto squad in the tournament. Given that the event took place in the United States this summer, fans should be familiar with him if he comes over to the MLS.
New York would likely use that third and final DP slot on Abou Ali. In 60 appearances with Al Ahly, Abou Ali has scored 38 times and assisted on 10 goals.
Charlie Kelman
While there has been no reported interest in the Queens Park Rangers striker from New York, Charlotte FC did try to sign Charlie Kelman. With United States men’s national team (USMNT) player Patrick Agyemang off to play for Derby County in the EFL Championship, Charlotte tried their best to replace him with Kelman. QPR rejected Charlotte’s formal offer and this may allow New York to start talks with the forward.
During Kelman’s loan at League One club Leyton Orient last season, the 23-year-old was the league’s Golden Boot winner, racking up 21 goals. With the situation on the other side getting messy between Kelman and QPR, a move to New York would be tremendous. Kelman is also no stranger to the U.S., given that he lived in Texas and represented the country at the U-18 and U-20 levels.
Former Premier League and current League One squad Luton Town is also in the mix for the talented goal scorer.
Josh Sargent
While the first two options seem like a possibility, Sargent’s likelihood seems to be a fantasy. The USMNT striker was slated to join the Bundesliga club Wolfsburg from his current team, Norwich City, for the 2025-2026 season. However, the return to the Bundesliga for Josh Sargent has fallen apart, according to The Athletic.
Sargent has been linked to other clubs besides Wolfsburg and has the ability to play in a high-end league like the English Premier League. But what if the striker wants to return to the U.S. and star in his own country’s domestic league?
It may be foolish to suggest this given how many other top leagues are bidding for Sargent’s services, but for a player who’s trying to find his role again in the national squad, why not shine bright back home? Between receiving passes from Emil Forsberg to creating more goal opportunities, the DP slot for Sargent would fit nicely with the Red Bulls.
Again, it’s highly unlikely that someone young and talented like Sargent would return home to play in MLS. With Abou Ali and Kelman as well, it also depends on how they fit Sandro Schwarz’s system.
Whoever the Red Bulls bring in this transfer window, they need to have an immediate impact on the club.
