The Red Bulls had a busier day than normal just two days ago, not only playing in their second preseason game out on their California trip against Austin FC, which they drew 3-3 but it was also reported that the club had signed Norwegian winger Dennis Gjengaar from Odds in the Eliteserien.
The move was made official today by the club but was originally reported by Kristian Holtan of TA Sport in Norway. According to Holtan on Wednesday, Gjengaar and Red Bull had agreed to a move to bring the pacy winger to New York. A couple of hours later Stian André de Wahl of Fotball.TV confirmed that Red Bull and Odds agreed on a transfer fee of 20 Million NOK (~$1.9M).
https://twitter.com/NewYorkRedBulls/status/1758536905669697946?s=20
“We are very excited to add Dennis to our club. He is a promising young player with a great skill set and tremendous speed,” said Head of Sport Jochen Schneider. "Dennis is a great individual both on and off the field and we are looking forward to having him with us.” Gjengaar signs a four-year MLS contract through 2027 with an option for 2028 as a U-22 Initiative player.
Last season in the Eliteserien, Gjengaar had 2 goals and 2 assists for Odds as the club finished in 10th place last season in the league. If you go back to his debut season for Odds in 2022, Gjengaar scored 5 goals in the first 10 games of his career.
With Lewis Morgan currently coming back from major surgery in 2023 and only Wiki Carmona, Peter Stroud, and Roald Mitchell playing the "wide 10" role for Red Bull this preseason, Gjengaar has the opportunity to solidify his place in the XI right from the time he steps foot in the US.
One thing Gjengaar does bring to this team that they lacked mightily last season is his pace. Last season in the Eliteserien, Gjengaar was recorded as the fastest player in the league at 36.8 km/h (~23 Mph). The kid isn't just speed.
https://twitter.com/pvtmcbain/status/1757916053714378910?s=20
Head coach Sandro Schwarz is excited about bringing in the new signing just before the season starts. "We are happy to have Dennis on our roster and add to the quality of our team. Dennis is a talented midfielder with great on-the-ball qualities and we are excited to have him at the club.”
As shown in the video below, Gjengaar can be clinical in front of goal, with those five goals in 10 games. Now he gets to play with the great Emil Forsberg who has been tearing it up this preseason with 2 goals & 3 assists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzj8MLiraaE
Other Transfer Rumors Floating in the Air
Since the new year, Red Bull has lost depth pieces like Dru Yearwood, Omir Fernandez, Jorge Cabezas, Tom Barlow, and Hassan Ndam while also losing a key starter in Luquinhas. In replacing those players, Schneider had brought in Emil Forsberg, Noah Eile, Dennis Gjengaar, Aidan O'Connor, and Roald Mitchell. Are those enough players for a team that already lacked depth last season?
This won't be the last move for Red Bull before the "primary" transfer window in MLS closes on April 23rd. There are rumors of one Red Bull II player getting a first-team deal before the season starts. The main player we could see get that deal is Panamanian U20 left-back Omar Valencia. The other is team MVP from 2023, attacking midfielder Ibrahim Kasule, who had 17 goals & 7 assists in 27 regular and postseason games.
Red Bull II left-back Omar Valencia starting for the first team in the preseason against Austin FC
There are also some rumblings that Red Bull is attempting to line up one more senior addition to the roster before the window closes in April, but it's not a guarantee. Red Bull has two free senior spots open, while also having a DP slot & U22 slot unused heading into the 2024 season.
The position that Jochen Schneider is looking to add is unknown, but the two biggest holes I see right now on the roster after the Gjengaar signing would be in defensive midfield behind Frankie Amaya & Daniel Edelman and a second starting striker next to DP Dante Vanzeir. Which position do you see as the biggest need heading into the season?
Looking Forward...
Red Bull is set to host a team media day for media members next week, February 20th at Red Bull Arena that will include the likes of Emil Forsberg, John Tolkin, Dante Vanzeir, and many more.
The team is set to open the season on February 25th against Nashville SC at Geodis PArk. Kickoff is set for 5:00 P.M. EST.
For all your Red Bull news, follow Daniel Rebain on X or visit Area Sports Network
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