New York Red Bulls sign Fredrik Gulbrandsen on loan from RB Salzburg

As reported by no less a source than the man himself, Fredrik Gulbrandsen is joining the New York Red Bulls, on loan from RB Salzburg.

RBNY confirmed the deal with an official announcement on March 10. The release describes a one-year loan, though Gulbrandsen told Norwegian outlet Verdens Gang that he has the option of heading back to Austria in the summer if things don't work out for him on the field.

An attacking player with a consistent (if somewhat modest) scoring record at club level, Gulbrandsen won a Norwegian top-flight title with Molde in 2014. The 24-year-old has won three caps for Norway since 2014.

Injury issues and the emergence of other attacking options limited Gulbrandsen's opportunities with RB Salzburg this season. He scored twice in nine appearances (but only 326 minutes) for Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga after joining the team in the summer of 2016. And he also played in Salzburg's UEFA Champions League qualifying and Europa League campaigns this season.

As RBNY Sporting Director noted in his official comments on the new signing, Gulbrandsen's familiarity with Salzburg's system should mean he knows exactly what is expected of him at RBNY:

He is a player we are familiar with and we think his attributes will be a good fit in our system. His familiarity with the Red Bull style of soccer means that we expect him to assimilate quickly into our group.

Gulbrandsen should be capable of winning a starting job in RBNY's lineup. At the very least, he offers depth to the squad's forward options. Under contract with Salzburg until 2019, the stint in New York is an opportunity for the Norwegian to show what he can do with regular playing time, and perhaps win a return to favor with the Austrian club (or, maybe, an extended run in MLS - if he likes RBNY, perhaps he decides he'd like to stay).