Arnar Vidarsson, the sporting director of Belgian side KAA Gent, confirmed on Tuesday that his team is still in talks with the New York Red Bulls to acquire forward Dante Vanzeir.
A source with direct knowledge of the information told amNewYork earlier this month that the two clubs have engaged in talks, though not much progress had been made over the last two weeks.
Vanzier, a native of Belgium, had spent the previous two seasons with the Red Bulls after he was purchased from another Belgian club, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. He has two years remaining on his designated player (DP) contract with New York.
But the 26-year-old has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Red Bulls after two inconsistent seasons. He scored just twice in 2023 and put up four last season, though he did score a pair of goals during New York’s run to an Eastern Conference title and MLS Cup Final appearance.
Still, the production did not match the value of a contract that was a club record at the time.
Vanzeir looked more and more like the odd man out in New York as the offseason progressed. Per Major League Soccer rules, a team can only have up to three DP contracts on its roster.
Over the last five months, the Red Bulls signed Uruguayan midfielder Felipe Carballo and former PSG and Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to DP deals, bringing the club’s total up to four such contracts alongside Vanzeir and superstar Swedish midfielder Emil Forsberg.
Gent currently sits in sixth place in the Belgian Pro League. Following a 1-1 draw with eight-place Charleroi, manager Wouter Vrancken left the club in what the team describes as a mutual agreement. Vrancken had been seen as opposed to Gent making a move for Vanzeir. With him out, it is one less hurdle that has to be cleared for the move to be completed, which could come within the next week.