English Championship side Bristol City is finalizing a deal to sign Red Bull New York’s up-and-coming central defender, Noah Eile, sources confirmed with amNewYork.
The deal is believed to be worth roughly $4.3 million, making it the second-most expensive transfer fee paid to New York for a defender in franchise history. Matt Miazga was sold to Premier League giants Chelsea during the 2015-16 season for $5.2 million.
Eile, 23, had quickly established himself as the mainstay of New York’s back line over the two seasons he was with the club. Purchased from Malmo in his home country of Sweden, he made 59 appearances for the club overall, which included a start in the 2024 MLS Cup Final against LA Galaxy.
Known for his ability to distribute the ball from the back, he completed 1,762 passes last season, ranking 15th among all defenders in MLS. His 54 clearances were tied for seventh-most in the league.
Eile now finds himself amidst a race for promotion to the high-profile Premier League with Bristol City, managed by former Red Bull head coach Gerard Struber. The Robins currently sit in ninth place in the English Championship, just four points behind sixth-place Wrexham, which holds the fourth and final play-off spot.
It leaves New York, however, scrambling to fill the impending void at center-back with less than three weeks to go before the start of the 2026 MLS season. Red Bull had already traded former captain Sean Nealis to DC United and parted ways with Alexander Hack. Former Sporting KC center back Robert Voloder was brought in, where the expectation was that he would start next to Eile. Now that responsibility falls to veteran Tim Parker, who, at 32, is coming off a season in which he made just 13 MLS appearances after New York reacquired him from St. Louis City.
