Red Bull New York completed the signing of German center-back Robert Voloder on Monday to a three-year contract that will run through December of 2028 with an option to complete the 2028-29 season.
Since he already has his green card, he does not occupy an international roster spot.
The 24-year-old spent the last four seasons with Sporting Kansas City, where he made 78 career appearances. Working through a broken collarbone last year, he started 16 of the 18 matches he appeared in.
“Robert is a strong, dependable defender, and he has the ability to play the ball out of the back, which will be valuable to us,” Red Bull head coach Michael Bradley said. “We are excited about what he adds to our group, and we’re looking forward to getting to work with him.”
Voloder is expected to compete for the starting center-back job in New York alongside veteran Tim Parker, where the winner will line up next to Swedish youngster Noah Eile. Red Bull New York has already parted ways with German veteran Alexander Hack after just one season, as well as long-time academy product and former captain Sean Nealis, who was traded to DC United last month.
The club sees significant potential in Voloder’s game after coming up through the European ranks. He represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the international youth level and began his journey with the academy of FC Köln of the German Bundesliga.
He got his first taste of top-flight soccer in Slovenia with NK Maribor, where he made 20 appearances and an additional four in the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League during the 2021-22 season.
“Robert is a young player who brings an impressive amount of experience from both Europe and MLS,” head of sport Julian de Guzman said. “He’s been in competitive environments at a high level, and we believe he has a lot to offer our club as we continue to build toward this season.”
