The New York Red Bulls have lost their star player, Thierry Henry, to retirement from the game. He was a key factor ever since he arrived; captain’s armband every match he played, first DP for the club etc. Those will be very, very big shoes to fill for this squad. In addition to Henry, the club has lost Jamison Olave, Kosuke Kimura, Richard Eckersley, and Ibrahim Sekagaya. The CB position is wide open, but the front runners at the moment are Matt Miazga and Armando, which may not hold up very long. The wings aren’t the same without Henry and the defense has been practically torn apart from the ground. There are shoes that need to be filled with someone who has experience, leadership, along with skill.
Possible Red Bull Signings For Next Season
Rio Ferdinand, Queens Park Rangers/England
He may be old, and not as good as he was in his glory days at Manchester United, but Ferdinand is still a great defender. QPR are struggling to just stay in the Premier League this season. Ferdinand signed a one year deal in July, but RBNY could possibly buy out his contract and get him in January, or hold out until the summer and attempt a free transfer. He has experience and was once one of the best defenders in the world. He can teach the young Matt Miazga how to be a top defender and help him mature in his position. On top of that, for a man of his age, he has great speed and could still more than likely keep up in MLS for a season or two before leaving the game entirely.
Efe Ambrose, Celtic/Nigeria
Ambrose is a young, yet highly underrated CB. He starts every match for Celtic in Scotland, but Scottish football has seen better days. Ambrose would make a great addition to this team while in his prime. He can also play CDM if needed. He’s great at marking, being able to keep his composure when in a dangerous situation. He and Miazga could make a great, young defensive wall for years to come.
Bryan Ruiz, Fulham/Costa Rica
There was no doubt Ruiz was the star for Costa Rica in this past year’s World Cup. Currently, he’s playing for Fulham in the Championship in England. Fulham currently sit at 15th place, right around the middle of the table. Ruiz is one their key players, but he doesn’t make a lot of money for a player of his caliber. He currently makes less than two-million US dollars per year at Fulham. MLS may not be as good as the Championship currently, but Ruiz could possibly be the attacker that could replace Henry. He may not have the legacy that Henry had , but the guy can play. He can play as a striker or a right-sided midfielder if needed. He also has his Costa Rican teammate Roy Miller on RBNY as well. Ruiz coming to RBNY is unlikely, but he would make an amazing addition to the club on the attacking front.
Kenwyne Jones, Cardiff City/Trinidad and Tobago
Jones is a quick, speedy attacker that RBNY could use to their advantage. He’s 30 years of age now and is playing in the Championship for Cardiff. Jones can be a striker, or could possibly move to winger or an attacking midfielder. Jones isn’t known for scoring lots of goals in the Premier League, but he’s doing fine in the Championship. At his age, his form and play will most likely be on the decline, thus not making him be the player he once was at Sunderland or Stoke. Jones would make a good replace for Henry up front mainly due to his raw speed and athleticism. He’s always in the right spot whenever he scores a goal, and he can muscle defenders if he needs to win a header. Again, he’s not Henry, but he could help fill his shoes just fine.
All of these players are not Henry, but they do have a lot to bring to the table. All of them have experience with their respective national teams and currently or used to be regular starters. Rio can help train Miazga to become a great CB and possibly lead USMNT one day. Ambrose can be a utility player, whether he’s a CB or playing at CDM, he can be a wall defensively. Ruiz is an amazing attacker, along with Jones. Both aren’t Henry, but they can help score some goals or assist in setting up Wright-Phillips to put it in the back of the net. All four of these players will more than likely be designated players, which means that RBNY can only take one of these players. More than likely, RBNY will not take any of these players, but should keep these players in mind.
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