New York Red Bulls midfielder Frankie Amaya is set to join Liga MX side Toluca, a source with knowledge of the information confirmed with amNewYork on Sunday.
The 23-year-old central midfielder played 86 minutes in New York’s 3-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night in which the writing was clearly on the wall that it would be his final match with the club, which he has been with since 2021 after coming over from FC Cincinnati.
Amaya was given a standing ovation at Red Bull Arena as he was subbed off, he was hoisted by his teammates on the pitch following the match, and during his post-match interview, head coach Sandro Schwarz confirmed that his midfielder would be leaving the club.
“Frankie Amaya is a great person. He worked so hard and it was his mentality and how he plays and what he has done his whole time here since the first day… he’s a great person,” Schwarz said. “He deserves everything. It’s a great finish for him individually to have this moment, these emotional moments in the locker room and we wish all the best for him, his family, and great success with his new club.”
Tim Bogert of The Athletic first reported that Amaya’s deal with Toluca would be worth around $4 million. He anchors a Mexican side that finished third in the Clausura (closing) tournament and made the Liga MX semifinals last season.
Across four seasons with the Red Bulls, Amaya appeared in 91 MLS matches (73 starts) and recorded eight goals with six assists.
His departure from the club provides another sizable loss for an already-shorthanded New York squad. Star midfielder Emil Forsberg continues to deal with a foot injury that has held him out for the last two matches. Meanwhile, leading scorer Lewis Morgan is with the Scottish national team at Euro 2024, and starting goalkeeper Carlos Coronel is with the Paraguayan national team at Copa America 2024.
Daniel Edelman, the other half of the Red Bulls’ starting central midfield alongside Amaya, will be suspended for the club’s next match on Saturday against DC United for yellow-card accumulation.
