New York Red Bulls defender Kyle Ducan has signed a pre-contract agreement with Belgian side KV Oostende.
The right-back has been linked with a return to Europe for some time, with Oostende emerging as the favorites for his signature.
It's now been confirmed that Duncan has penned a deal until 2025 with the side currently occupying 13th place in the Belgian First Division A. He will officially join up with his new club on December 1st and will only be eligible to play in January.
“Kyle is a player who has been on our radar for a long time," Oostende executive president Gauthier Ganaye said in an official statement. "Because the season in the US is now over and his contract has ended there, we can sign him for free, despite the tough competition from several European clubs.
"Because he grew up with Red Bulls' style of play, [Kyle] fits perfectly into our system: he is a modern right-back who combines speed with good crosses. He will arrive in Belgium on December 1 [and] will train with the team for six weeks before he can play his first game after the winter break.
"Because the [MLS] season has only just come to an end, he is physically very sharp and will be ready for use immediately. I'm really happy that we were able to close this deal so early."
Maak hier kennis met onze nieuwste aanwinst: een offensieve rechtsachter met snelheid, een goede voorzet en dito schot.
Looking forward to see this at Oostende @kyleduncan_6 ! ? pic.twitter.com/ugcLJJNcjm
— KV Oostende (@kvoostende) November 25, 2021
Duncan was one of the Red Bulls' most important players in 2021 as they reached the MLS Cup Playoffs for a 12th consecutive season. The 24-year-old was first among his teammates in the regular season for interceptions (59) and successful dribbles (58), and second for tackles (146).
The one-time United States international is a strong one-on-one defender and needs no second invitation to surge forward and support the attack, making him the perfect modern full-back.
This is Duncan's second spell in Europe after he spent time with French side Valenciennes between 2015 and 2017.
This article was originally published on 90min as Kyle Duncan signs pre-contract agreement with KV Oostende.
Source: www.90min.com