As the final hours ticked away near the end of the 2026 MLS Transfer Window, defender Devin Padelford was summoned into the offices at Minnesota United FC on the morning of Wednesday, September 2.
Padelford was informed that Red Bull New York made a last-gasp inquiry to acquire him on loan before the transfer window slammed shut. With less than 15 hours remaining before the 1 a.m. Eastern Time deadline on Thursday, September 3, the 23-year-old needed to make a quick decision.
“Yeah, it was definitely pretty last minute,” Padelford said on Monday. “I woke up Wednesday morning and kind of got called into our sporting director’s office at Minnesota, and they brought up the opportunity to me. Then my agent called me and told me that Red Bull was interested in a loan move. Then a bunch of stuff started going through my mind and whatnot.
After talking with Julian [de Guzman], obviously, and Michael [Bradley], it just seemed like it would be kind of a win-win for me, just go somewhere new and try and show my capabilities and just be here to work hard and try and help with the playoff push.”
Bradley’s FaceTime Call Helped Convince Padelford To Join Red Bull New York
Padelford said that a FaceTime call with Bradley made it clear that joining the Red Bulls on loan was the right move for his career.
“That was actually probably one of the turning points for me wanting to do this and that I was super excited about,” Padelford recalled. “Michael called me. I got to meet him over a FaceTime call and then when I met him in person, kind of just carried the same energy over and it felt like a no-brainer for me.”
With precious little time remaining, Red Bull New York and Minnesota completed all the necessary paperwork, processing and approvals before the 1 a.m. deadline.
Bradley, de Guzman, technical director Tiger Fitzpatrick, director of soccer Sam Goldberg and head scout Jimmy Mulligan huddled together to ensure that the loan deal went through.
“Julian and everybody inside the club — Tiger, Sam, Jimmy, it was a really strong group effort at the end of the window here to try to maximize every opportunity,” Bradley said last Thursday.
The loan deal was announced 11 hours after the window closed, at noon on Thursday, September 3. Padelford arrived at RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey, later that day after the Red Bulls’ morning-to-afternoon training session had ended.
After One Training Session, Padelford Makes Red Bull New York Debut
Padelford debuted for Red Bull New York in last Saturday’s scoreless away draw to Seattle Sounders FC. Despite only participating in one training session with his new club, he replaced starting left-back Matthew Dos Santos in the 81st minute and went on to play the final nine minutes of regulation plus four minutes of stoppage time.
“It felt really good, obviously, first game, it was a whirlwind of a couple days getting flown into New York and then a big road trip with all of the guys,” Padelford said. “So, trying to control all that, but then just putting the football first and I was just really excited to come on and help contribute to a hard road point, and just excited to keep growing with the guys.
“Once I got here, the energy and the camaraderie of the guys seems very good. I really enjoy it so far. I’m just super excited to keep pushing for it and just growing with the guys and working super hard. It seems like a very dedicated group and they know the goal that they want. So I’m just here to help as much as I can.”
Big Test Against LAFC Awaits Red Bulls and Padelford
Padelford could see increased action in upcoming away matches against Los Angeles FC this Wednesday and the Columbus Crew on Saturday, September 12.
LAFC boasts a dangerous attack led by 12-goal scorer Denis Bouanga. Son Heung-Min’s 11 assists only trail Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi.
“Yeah, obviously, a lot of star power, and over the years they have always been a tough team to play and it is also very hard to play them at their place,” Padelford said of LAFC. “I think they do a great job getting their fans into games, so I think a great thing is just being able to weather the storm early on, trying to keep the game away from our net as much as we possibly can.
“They do a very good job in the transition. They have a lot of very dynamic attackers, so trying to limit as many transition moments would probably be best. In games that I have played them, that is where I feel they excel really well.”
Wednesday’s contest at BMO Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
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