Another American will be joining the ranks of YAs in Belgium, as New York Red Bull’s defender Kyle Duncan will continue his career with Belgian top-flight club KV Oostende starting in 2022.
As reported in the Belgian press this morning, Duncan will link up with coastal team on a three-year contract to bolster their chances in the Belgian top division.
The move comes after much speculation about the future of the former Valenciennes’ player and RBNY youth product Duncan during the summer transfer window. With his contract in New York running out after the current season and having already been capped by the senior USMNT, the defender was a prime candidate for a lucrative move across the pond.
French sides Montpellier, Metz and Reims, as well as Belgium’s Oostende and Anderlecht have all been linked to the 24 year-old right back, however the Flanders-based club have won the battle, and have signed the American to a three-year contract.
The Brooklyn-born wingback has been a fixture for the Red Bulls since joining their first team in the 2018 season, making more than 70 league appearances and scoring five goals. In the current MLS season, he has made 32 appearances for the team while scoring one goal and making three assists, and has been a fixture in the team’s late run to reach the MLS Cup playoffs.
So far this season, Oostende have been decidedly middle-of-the-road, with the team currently in 12th place in the 18-team division. They have lost all three of their most recent league games, and are looking to replace Jelle Bataille, their starter at right back in the last season who left for Royal Antwerp in the off-season.
Duncan’s likely first appearance for Oostende will be in mid-January, when they return from the winter break with a visit to SV Zulte Waregem.