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#KakuWatch may be over, but it seems as though the New York Red Bulls are still angling to make another big splash this winter - namely in a potential trade involving star midfielder Felipe.
On Monday soccer insider Steven Goff tweeted that the Red Bulls and Vancouver Whitecaps were in trade talks. Goff noted that Felipe and Whitecaps center-back Tim Parker are rumored to be involved.
Getting word Red Bulls and Whitecaps are in trade talks.
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) February 19, 2018
Felipe Martins and Tim Parker involved? Just a rumor at moment ...#mls
24-year-old Tim Parker is a native New Yorker, born & raised in Nassau County, and got his first taste of competitive soccer with local outfits the Long Island Rough Riders and Brooklyn Italians when he was a teenager.
Goff would later clarify that the Red Bulls would probably send Allocation Money instead of Felipe.
Sorry, allocation $ instead of Martins
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) February 20, 2018
Parker was drafted by the Whitecaps 13th overall in 2015 and has been one of the club’s top defenders over the last two seasons. He has been called up to USMNT winter camp in each of the last two years, but has yet to get his first cap.
MLS Transfers noted that RBNY have been interested in bringing Parker to the Big Apple for a while, and that Vancouver pursued Felipe back in 2017.
I got nothing on the RBNY-Whitecaps trade other than RBNY really have liked Tim Parker and have wanted to bring him home for a while.
— MLS Transfers (@MLSTransfers) February 20, 2018
The Red Bulls acquired Felipe in a trade with the Montreal Impact back in 2015 that also included the allocation position used to get Sacha Kljestan from Anderlecht. Since joining the Red Bulls, Felipe has been one of the most consistent presences on the field in team history, finishing only slightly behind Luis Robles in total minutes played in over the last three seasons.