The New York Red Bulls are being linked to Romanian winger, Alexandru Ionita, and Mali U-17 star, Lassana N’Diaye. Also, more rumors on Tyler Adams.
Ahead of the January transfer window, the New York Red Bulls are lining up several moves. The Red Bulls are looking to bolster their attack with young talent in 2018. On December 1st, MLS confirmed reports of the club placing a bid on a Romanian winger. Jesse Marsch and the front office are also rumored to be interested in finding a protegé for the club’s all-time goal scorer. Rumors are also continuing to swirl around American starlet Tyler Adams.
Alexandru Ionita
Alexandru Ionita currently plays for Astra Giurgiu in Romania’s Liga 1. Ionita’s play must have caught the eye of the club while keeping tabs on his team-mate, Anatole Abang, on-loan at Astra Giurgiu. . In late November, Romanian news outlets Liber Tatea and ORANGE announced that the New York Red Bulls placed a €1.7 bid for Ionita. The Red Bulls are competing with Turkish club, Konyaspor, and Romanian club, CS Universitatea Craiova. The Red Bulls have put forward the highest bid by a mile, but CS Universitatea Craiova has offered €500,000 and 2 players in return.
Alexandru Ionita, age 22, plays with flair and is an exceptional dribbler and finisher. Ionita plays on the right side, despite being left-footed, often cutting back on to his favored foot. Despite his playing style which suits playing out wide, Ionita can also play as an attacking midfielder. In 22 Liga 1 games this season, Ionita bagged 9 goals and 4 assists. The Red Bulls are looking to scoop up the budding talent at the right time. Ionita is currently having the best season of his career. If the Red Bulls complete the transfer, expect to see some flashy play out on the flanks at Red Bull Arena in 2018.
Lassana N’Diaye
Source: Galatasaray and RBNY are interested in Mali U17 star striker Lassana Ndiaye who came 2nd in Golden Boot at the U17WC.
— MLS Transfers (@MLSTransfers) December 6, 2017
According to MLSTransfers, The Red Bulls have interest in teenage Mali center forward, Lassana N’Diaye. N’Diaye had an incredible 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, finishing with 6 goals in 7 games. Lassana N’Diaye won the adidas Silver Ball for his goal total, which included a variety of finishes. N’Diaye is a poacher and put the ball in the back of the net, on-and-off the ball, in India this summer. Standing in at only 5’5, his playing style is somewhat reminiscent of forward Bradley Wright-Phillips.
N’Diaye has seemingly come out of nowhere. In an interview with FIFA during Mali’s U-17 WC run, N’Diaye was said to have been an unknown prospect who met his teammates months before the tournament.
The Red Bulls are going to face some stiff opposition in obtaining the forward with the likes of Galatasaray also vying to land the youngster.
N’Diaye wears #19:
Tyler Adams
Tyler Adams wowed many in 2017 with his spectacular play at just age 18. His play hasn’t just caught the attention of American fans, but from scouts worldwide. On November 28th, Don Garber stated, $5 million was offered to the Red Bulls for a player on their roster. Many assumed the player to be Tyler Adams, but from sources within the organization, Don Garber’s quote was inaccurate.
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Just yesterday, Italian soccer site Calciomercato claimed that AS Roma is looking at Tyler Adams as a potential replacement for club legend, Daniele De Rossi. The article notes that Roma and Valencia have been keeping tabs on the homegrown talent. AS Roma adds on to the list of clubs Tyler Adams is linked to. A team source close to the Metro, claims that Red Bull Leipzig would be Adams’ most likely destination if he leaves New York.