TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
The New York Red Bulls could be trading their captain for the second straight offseason.
According to MSG and Metro's Kristian Dyer, the Red Bulls are set to trade midfielder Sacha Kljestan to LAFC. A source noted that the Red Bulls would likely receive allocation money in return for Kljestan.
Kljestan took over captain duties for head coach Jesse Marsch after Dax McCarty was traded to the Chicago Fire last January in a transaction that netted the Red Bulls $400,000 in General Allocation Money.
The 32-year-old Kljestan, a California native, has been a star for New York since joining the club prior to the 2015 season. He has scored 16 goals in 97 appearances for RBNY, but his most valuable contributions have arguably been his 51 assists, which are the most in MLS history over three seasons. He became the first player to lead the league in assists over consecutive seasons, recording 20 in 2016 and 17 in 2017.
Should the transaction materialize, the 2016 MLS Best XI playmaker would be reunited with LAFC head coach Bob Bradley, who drafted him No. 5 overall in the 2006 SuperDraft for Chivas USA and then coached him as US national team boss from 2007-11. Kljestan was part of the 30-man preliminary roster for the 2010 World Cup but was not selected to the final 23-man roster.
LAFC were busy on Tuesday during the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, selecting five players including Costa Rican international Marco Ureña. After the draft, they traded two of their selections for Montreal Impact center back and 2015 MLS Defender of the Year Laurent Ciman. Those players will join Carlos Vela as the expansion team continues to build their roster with an eye towards their inaugural season in 2018.
Los Angeles Football Club |
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<strong>ROSTERED PLAYERS (10 of 30 spots filled as of Dec. 12, 2017):</strong> |
<p><strong>GK (1):</strong> Tyler Miller<br><strong>DEF (3):</strong> Laurent Ciman (INT'L), Omar Gaber (INT'L), Walker Zimmerman<br><strong>MID (1):</strong> Carlos Alvarez<br><strong>FWD (5):</strong> Latif Blessing, Bassey Etim (INT'L), Rodrigo Pacheco (INT'L), Marco Urena (INT'L), Carlos Vela (DP, INT'L)</p> |
<p><strong>DESIGNATED PLAYERS (DP):</strong> Carlos Vela<br><strong>HOMEGROWN PLAYERS (HG):</strong> --<br><strong>INT'L ROSTER SPOTS FILLED (INT'L):</strong> 5<br><strong>GENERATION ADIDAS PLAYERS (GA):</strong> --</p> |
