After months of speculation and a virtual fan prayer circle on social media, the New York Red Bulls finally got their man. The young midfielder known by fans as Kaku, Alejandro Romero Gammara was announced as the latest signing by the Red Bulls on Friday morning.
New York completed the transfer with Club Athletico Huracan, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa. At 23 years old, Gammara becomes the youngest player to occupy both a designated player slot and an international roster spot in club history.
Although young, Gamarra has 5 years of professional soccer under his belt. The midfielder signed with Club Atletico Huracan’s senior team in July of 2013, and made his professional debut in the second half of the 2014/15 season. He helped the club earn promotion to Argentina’s top division in 2015.
In addition to his club career, he has also represented Argentina on the international stage. In 2015, he appeared in 5 matches at the FIFA U20 World Cup.
The Ciudadela, Argentina, native began his professional career with CA Huracan at age 18. Over four and a half seasons, Gamarra has appeared in 95 matches and recorded eight goals and 13 assists. In the first half of the 2017/18 season, he tallied one goal and three assists in 12 matches over 822 minutes.
“We are very pleased to reach an agreement with all parties and complete this deal,” said Sporting Director Denis Hamlett, alluding to the rumored complications. “When we identified Kaku, he quickly became our top off-season target. He fits the profile of the player we are looking for: highly skilled, creative, and hard-working. During our discussions, we realized that we are adding a good player and great young man to our team. We look forward to seeing him continue to grow as part of the New York Red Bulls.”
Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch has also expressed high hopes for his young playmaker. “Kaku is a very exciting player and a great person,” said Marsch.
“He is a creative, dynamic attacker who can change the game by scoring and setting up teammates. He has an excellent grasp of the game and I think he will thrive in our style of play. He is ecstatic to be joining us and we can’t wait to get to work.”
Gamarra will wear the number 10 jersey.
