New York Red Bulls are rumored to be signing Bayern Munich back-up striker Eric Coupo-Moting on a free transfer this January, ahead of the 2025 MLS regular season. The news comes from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg who broke the story on Thanksgiving Day, indicating that not only is the deal complete, but a medical has already been done ahead of the signing.
Coupo-Moting is a 35 year-old German international who has played for several big clubs over the years, including Paris Saint-Germain, Schalke and Bayern Munich most recently. While he never broke through as the top chose for many of their managers, he managed to score 19 goals across 88 games and was a strong back-up for Robert Lewendowski, Sadio Mane and now Harry Kane. His most successful run was with Mainz in the Bundesliga back between 2011 and 2014 where he scored 20 goals across 74 appearances.
The news is a drastic shift in what has been expected of Red Bull transfer policy. Since 2015, the team has focused on signing younger players to develop with a potential upside. This past winter, Head of Sport Jochen Schneider made a major shift by bringing in Emil Forsberg and changed the direction of the club which now sits just one win away from the MLS Cup Final. Coupo-Moting is another signing in that general direction that is looking to bring in a veteran presence around a youthful team still looking to learn the game.
At the moment, the team has not confirmed or denied the reports out of Germany. Red Bulls are focused on their weekend opponents, Orlando City SC, in the Eastern Conference Final. Any further news won’t be announced until the January transfer window after the holiday. How Coupo-Moting fits into the team will also be a question as all three designated player spots are filled at the moment.
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