‘Surprise’ as Lewis Morgan traded by Red Bull New York to San Diego

There was understandably an “initial surprise” when Lewis Morgan was notified that he was being traded by Red Bull New York to San Diego FC, amNewYork was told.

The Scottish international winger is being sent out west for an MLS SuperDraft pick and $400,000 of general allocation money (GAM) in a deal that was put into motion on Saturday, but is still pending league approval, per a source with knowledge of the situation.

Tom Bogert of The Athletic first reported that the deal was being finalized earlier on Saturday.

Shipping Morgan out of town helps put the full scope of New York’s new head of sport Julian de Guzman’s rebuild into perspective. He promised a new-look squad during his introductory press conference on Oct. 28, placing the emphasis on attacking and entertaining soccer. But at the same time, he said that Morgan was still very much a part of his plans for 2026.

“Absolutely [he can be relied on in 2026],” de Guzman said .”I’m seeing Lewis Morgan every day. You can see the smile grow more and more when he’s getting closer to kicking the ball again. It’s been frustrating for him. I feel for a player like Lewis because he’s gone through this already. The fire he has to come back onto the field as to what he’s shown in 2024. This is the hope that we have for him in 2026.”

Hence the shock when the trade was executed, though it has already subsided.

When healthy, Morgan was a centerpiece of Red Bull New York’s most successful teams. The problem was that injuries continued to plague him.

After leading the Red Bulls in goals in 2022, a rare hip injury sidelined him for all but five matches in 2023. He returned the following season and won MLS Comeback Player of the Year behind 13 goals, which was good enough to earn him a call-up to the Scottish national team for the famed European Championships.

This past campaign was derailed by a knee injury that needed surgery and a nagging quad issue, which limited him to just three appearances.

New York and de Guzman have been linked with several attacking options to help replace the production of a healthy Morgan, which would take considerable goal-scoring pressure off veterans Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Emil Forsberg. The most notable of potential targets include US international products Cade Cowell and Luca de la Torre.

The trading of Morgan is the second notable move that de Guzman has made in the last week, after sending midfielder Peter Stroud to Minnesota United for $475,000 GAM.

For more on Red Bull New York and Lewis Morgan, visit AMNY.com