First sign of summer: Euro transfers to MLS have started

Two pieces of news out of Europe this morning that affect the New York Red Bulls very little: Sebastien Lletget has left West Ham United and is on his way to LA Galaxy; Will Packwood has cut ties with Birmingham City and is expected to trial with New England Revolution.

Two young Americans coming home for the summer, neither likely to impact RBNY greatly. Lletget is an attacking midfielder who has made intermittent appearances for US national youth teams and West Ham's first team (his debut was, unfortunately, a 5-0 FA Cup loss to Nottingham Forest in January 2014). He looks a lot like the answer to the question of whether Bruce Arena was ever going to get around to filling the hole in his squad left by being beaten to Sacha Kljestan's signature by the Red Bulls.

Packwood is a regular US youth international, on the radar for the U-23s bid to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. He is Massachusetts-born, which at least means a run with the Revs would be a homecoming of sorts.

RBNY has two further regular season games to play against New England - July 11 and September 16 - so there may be a little Packwood in the Red Bulls' future, if he does indeed sign with the Revolution. But the one and only match against LA for this season has been played. US Open Cup or the MLS Cup Final are the only places where the Red Bulls' path might cross with that of the Galaxy again in 2015.

So this transfer news doesn't have great bearing on RBNY's future, but it does signal the advent of the summer season of player migration to and from the big European leagues. Euro soccer is winding down, contracts are coming to an end, and the annual re-stocking of squads across the pond is ready to commence.

Brace yourself: the rumor mill is about to kick up a notch. Transaction time is upon us once again.