Since the departure of Frankie Amaya, who moved to Liga MX side Toluca this summer, Red Bull has been fiercely looking for his replacement. Today the search ends as Red Bull has officially signed Gremio and Uruguayan international midfielder Felipe Carballo on loan until June 31st, 2025, with an option to buy. Carballo is awaiting the approval of his visa before he arrives in the US.
The rumored loan fee is expected to be $500,000, with the purchase option next summer believed to be in the range of ~$3 million. Carballo will also occupy the third and final designated player slot on the roster alongside Emil Forsberg and Dante Vanzeir.
"Felipe [Carballo] has a proven track record of success, and we are very excited to add such an experienced player to our roster," said Head of Sport Jochen Schneider. "We are looking forward to him getting on the pitch at Red Bull Arena and helping us continue our push to the postseason."
This wasn't a linear path that led Red Bull to this point, there were multiple speed bumps in their way before landing on Carballo.
Red Bull's first target was Swedish midfielder Gustav Berggren of Raków Częstochowa. That deal fell apart due to the Polish side demanding a higher fee than what Red Bull was willing to go. The second target was former Everton and now free agent Jean-Phillipe Gbamin. The former Ivory Coast international was all set to join his former manager Sandro Schwarz in New York but the deal ultimately collapsed due to a "failed medical".
The third time is the charm for Red Bull as the deal for Carballo somewhat fell into their lap over the last week. On August 5th, news spread in Brazil and Uruguay that Carballo and Gremio would be looking for separation this summer and were looking to find a solution.
The presumed destination was Nacional, where Carballo played as a youth and for seven seasons with the senior team, with a pit stop at Sevilla in between, before he made his move to Gremio in January of 2023. But as I reported three days later, Red Bull revealed their interest to Gremio.
This is a major signing for Red Bull who have been running on empty in midfield since the sale of Amaya. With only Daniel Edelman and Ronald Donkor as viable options, as Peter Stroud is still not 100% from his broken ankle, Red Bull limped into their three-and-a-half-week break with no room for error, they need reinforcements.
Carballo is more than just a reinforcement, he's a starting-caliber midfielder, who will jump right into Sandro Schwarz XI once he obtains his work visa and is available for selection.
The Uruguayan international is a true box-to-box midfielder who loves to jump into the attack when the space presents itself. Carballo is a direct replacement and is also an upgrade to what Frankie Amaya was in a Red Bull kit.
With Gremio, Carballo played in 54 games, scoring just two goals and assisting on another. In the Brazilian Serie A, it seemed like Carballo was not given the freedom in his position to play up to his high standards, but at Nacional, that's where he shined.
For the Montevideo-based club, Carballo was given that trust by the manager and played the best football of his career. In 178 games, he had 36 goal contributions, 24 of them goals. In 2022, Carballo played a total of 44 games in midfield, putting up a career-best eight goals and four assists in all competitions.
"I am looking forward to begin working with Felipe on the pitch. His experience will help our roster as we go into the last nine games of the regular season," said head coach Sandro Schwarz. "He is a skillful midfielder, who will help anchor our midfield and we are happy to have him at our club."
Expectations are going to be high for Carballo, being bought in for a relatively high transfer fee, for Red Bull at least, and stepping into a role that was left behind by a fan favorite. But the Uruguayan has the ability and confidence to take on this challenge by the horns and become a difference-maker for Schwarz and Red Bull.
*Feature photo courtesy of Lucas Uebel / Grêmio FBPA
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