New York Red Bulls risk losing top prospect for free to European giant | OneFootball

In the world of soccer, especially during transfer windows, it’s common to see well-known European clubs showing interest in young prospects from lower leagues.

However, this targeting often happens when the young player has less than six months left on his contract, leaving him to negotiate as a free agent. I know it’s not fair, but that’s the sport.

This time, we have the report that the New York Red Bulls could lose one of their gems to a Ligue 1 club. The fact is that selling a youngster to Europe is good for MLS, but not for free.

Julian Hall is reportedly a target for Olympique Marseille

So yes, Olympique Marseille, a historic club from the French league, is behind the outstanding prospect from NYRB, Julian Hall.

This season, the 18-year-old forward played 22 games, recording 12 goals and four assists, impressive numbers for a young player on his first steps in professional soccer.

And that’s the reason why New York Red Bull should pursue a contract extension to secure Hall’s future.

Because it's obvious that this prospect's career is on the rise, and the French club knows it. His value is already around $8 million today, but in a few months or next year, if he maintains his current form, it could double.

However, if the MLS club doesn't act quickly to secure an extension, even if it's only a short-term one, they could lose a player for free who can provide long-term value to the club and could also bring them a significant financial return through a future sale.

Reports suggest there is a clause in Hall’s contract that allows NYRB to trigger a one-year extension, though this could result in him leaving for a reduced fee.

You might ask, how can they let him leave for such a low price? But the reality is that it's somewhat similar to what happened with Berhalter and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

If he doesn't leave for a low fee, he'll leave for free, and the club will get nothing in return. So, I'd rather go with the first option: sell him for a low price, but at least you make some money from the deal.

Either way, it’s a tough situation for the New York Red Bulls, but they should at least try to gain something in return for such a promising prospect as Julian Hall.