TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Loan
The New York Red Bulls have re-acquired winger Josh Sims on loan until June 30 from Southampton, the club announced Tuesday. The club has the option to extend the loan. He'll be added to the roster as a Young Designated Player.
Sims, 22, joined the Red Bulls on loan in August where he made seven appearances (five starts) during the regular season before scoring his first goal with the club in RBNY's 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Union in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
“We are pleased to the reach an agreement to bring Josh back to New York,” sporting director Denis Hamlett said in a club statement. “In his performances at the end of last season, we saw glimpses of why he was our top choice in last summer’s transfer window. Josh is a player that can maximize our philosophy with his speed, aggressiveness and quality on the ball. We’re excited to see how Josh can build upon his time with us last year.”
Sims is a product of Southampton's famed academy and was promoted to the first team in 2016. In addition to his pro experience, Sims has featured for England at several youth international levels, most recently in the 2019 Toulon Tournament, the famed youth tournament that takes place annually in the south of France.
He made his English Premier League debut for Southampton in November 2016, picking up an assist in the first minute of the game. In total, he made 26 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, including 20 in the EPL. Sims also spent time on loan with Reading in the first half of the 2018-19 season, recording three goals and four assists in 18 appearances. He was then called back to rejoin Southampton, where he appeared in seven of their final nine matches to help the club maintain its Premier League status.
Sims is the club's fifth addition this offseason, following three players signed from the club's USL affiliate as well as Kendall McIntosh, acquired in the Re-Entry Draft. The winger will be expected to be a key player for the club in 2020, as they enter a new era without club legends Bradley Wright-Phillips and Luis Robles.
