After a month of linking the New York Red Bulls to Swedish international midfielder Emil Forsberg, things have finally gotten over the finish line.
The Major League Soccer club announced on Saturday that the star playmaker is making the jump from the Red Bulls’ sister squad, Red Bull Leipzig in the Bundesliga, to New York.
“We are very excited to add a player of Emil’s caliber to our club, the amount of experience he has in Europe will be a great addition to our roster. We are grateful for the support from Red Bull Soccer. This transfer showcases the Red Bull philosophy of high-intensity and attacking soccer and the power of our multi-club eco system which will benefit our club,” Red Bulls Head of Sport Jochen Schneider said. “Emil is an amazing talent with a skillset that will particularly help develop young players and we cannot wait to see him take the pitch at Red Bull Arena in 2024.”
The 32-year-old spent the last eight seasons playing in Germany’s top flight and the UEFA Champions League. He recorded 39 goals and 40 assists in 195 matches with RB Leipzig while also competing for his country at the 2016 and 2020 European Championships as well as the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Forsberg was awarded the Guldbollen in 2021 — awarded to the player voted Sweden’s best soccer player. He was also voted Sweden’s Midfielder of the Year four times (2016-2017, 2019, 2021). During that 2021 season, he scored seven goals in 14 appearances for the Swedish national team while potting 11 goals in 46 matches across all competitions with RB Leipzig.
He’ll join a midfield that should be back to full strength with the return of the club’s top scorer in 2022, Lewis Morgan. The Scotsman was hampered by a nagging hip injury that limited him all season. Omir Fernandez also broke out as a developing star for the club while defensive midfielder Daniel Edelman continues to rise the ranks as one of the best young Americans at his position.
It’s a needed influx of firepower even with Morgan back in the fold. The Red Bulls struggled to consistently score all season despite sneaking into the playoffs. Only two players, Fernandez and Frankie Amaya, had five or more goals while only two teams in the Eastern Conference scored fewer goals than the team.
The official arrival of Forsberg comes just two days after the Red Bulls announced the hiring of their new head coach, Sandro Schwarz, who spent significant time in the very same Bundesliga that New York’s new midfielder graced for nearly a decade.
