Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley offered the latest update on free agent defender Rhys Williams, who has continued training with the club after his Liverpool contract expired on June 30.
“Rhys has made a really good impression as a person and a player,” Bradley stated after training concluded on Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve enjoyed having him. He’s fit in in a really good way with the group. We’re still trying to piece everything together. Not just in Rhys’ case, but from a bigger picture perspective in terms of how we use the summer window, where we are in terms of salary cap and international spots — you name it, everything that building a squad in Major League Soccer entails.
“We’ve really enjoyed having him with us. He has made training better. We’ll continue to see how things evolve over the next period and the best way to take advantage of this summer transfer window.”
Former Liverpool Defender Continues To Train With Red Bull New York
Williams took part in Tuesday’s first team training session at RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey.
Back on June 24, South Ward Central reported that Williams had been training with Red Bull New York on trial while the final weeks of his Liverpool contract expired.
On the same day, Bradley confirmed that talks were planned with Williams and his agent.
“Certainly, Rhys’ experience in the game is potentially of big value, so we’ll spend time with him,” Bradley said on June 24. “We’ll discuss with him and his agent what makes the most sense, and we’ll go from there.”
MLS Roster Rules Could Impact Williams’ Future
The 25-year-old defender is now a free agent and is able to sign with any interested club. As Bradley mentioned, it’s possible that Red Bull New York may need to do some maneuvering in order to sign the 6-foot-5 center-back.
At the moment, Bradley said he feels satisfied with a roster that currently sits fifth place in the Eastern Conference after collecting 22 points through 15 matches played. That said, he also indicated that the club will evaluate possibilities that could emerge when Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window opens on July 13.
How Red Bull New York Plans To Use the Summer Window
“Generally speaking, we feel really good about the group,” Bradley stated. “Julian [de Guzman] talked a lot about it at the beginning of the season and at the end of last season and through the offseason. As a club, we made a really conscious decision to go for it and overhaul as much of the squad as we could with the vision of trying to put together a team that could play the football that we all want.
“I was really pleased with what we were able to get done in the offseason, in the winter window. I think the work with this group through 15 league matches and now a summer preseason has been really, really positive. We continue to get better every day.
“The group responds so well to new ideas and to the way that we push things every single day. Obviously, now with that, as the summer window opens, we’re going to continue to evaluate all possibilities. We have really open minds in terms of the best ways to take the next steps in building the team that we all want.
“Obviously, the nuance of building a squad in MLS is that it’s not always possible to plan perfectly. Obviously, you have a clear idea of the direction that we’re going, of the vision that we have for our team, the football that we want to play, how that connects with the mentality of the team. We will evaluate everything in a fluid, dynamic way as different options and possibilities present themselves.”
So far, the only movement has been Joyeux Masanka Bungi returning to RB Leipzig following the completion of his short-term loan with Red Bull New York.
Once the window opens on July 13, there will be important decisions for Bradley and de Guzman to make in evolving the playing roster. Stay tuned to South Ward Central for Red Bull New York transfer news coverage.
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