HANOVER, N.J. – Mum may well be the word for the New York Red Bulls on Fredrik Gulbrandsen as the Norwegian forward could very well be headed to MLS.
Reports over the weekend linked the 24-year old Gulbrandsen with a move to the United States, a loan deal that might work well for both the player and his possible new club. Gulbrandsen signed with Red Bull Salzburg, the sister club of New York this past summer and has found playing time somewhat limited. The forward has two goals in nine appearances so far this year after spending his career to that point in Norway. A move to MLS might open the door for more minutes as the team is currently involved in the CONCACAF Champions League and will start the MLS regular season shortly.
Given the relative lack of depth at the forward position for New York, the move makes a certain level of sense although Gulbrandsen’s track record of scoring is a bit spotty.
“We won’t comment on that now but we’re aware of who he is,” said Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch following training on Monday.
It is “that now” component of Marsch’s comments that certainly raise an eyebrow, perhaps hinting at a possible announcement to come soon.
Late last year, the Red Bulls brought Omer Damari on for a brief loan spell, a move that was a disaster. An Israeli international, Damari came in out of shape and struggled to see the field as he made just four appearances in the regular season. His last appearance was just seven minutes in the playoffs as a substitute against the Montreal Impact.
This time he would leave the field not due to injury but rather because of a red card.
Quick Notes
1. Defender Gideon Baah, signed in the last off-season but was injured just a couple months into his Red Bull tenure, appears to be making progress from a broken tibia that prematurely ended his 2016 campaign. On Monday at training, he was spotted jogging although he was held out of the team portion of the session.
“Still a way’s away. He’s starting to jog, and physically getting better but he’s still a long way’s away from training,” Marsch said. “But the good news away that he’s feeling strong and with the jogging, he’s making progress.”
2. Marsch also said that Damien Perrinelle, re-signed to the team during the early days of preseason and a late arrival to training camp, could be ready to play this weekend when the Red Bulls open the season at Atlanta United, an expansion team making their MLS debut.