New York Red Bulls acquire John McCarthy from LA Galaxy | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade

The New York Red Bulls have acquired goalkeeper John McCarthy from the LA Galaxy, the clubs announced Friday.

In exchange for the 33-year-old veteran, the Galaxy receive $150,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) and RBNY's third-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The Galaxy will also maintain a portion of McCarthy’s salary budget charge.

“John McCarthy is the embodiment of what it means to be a champion both on and off the field,” said Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz.

“Since joining the Galaxy family last winter, John has been a leader in the locker room and the community and was a key role in the Galaxy’s capture of its record sixth MLS Cup. Although it is difficult to say goodbye, John has left an indelible legacy and will forever be a part of the Galaxy family. We wish John, Jackie, JJ and Maddie all the best as they embark on this next chapter.”

McCarthy has won MLS Cup twice, in 2022 with LAFC and in 2024 with the Galaxy, where he helped beat the Red Bulls in the final. In 2022, he earned MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi honors after entering the match late and stopping two Philadelphia Union penalty kicks to secure the title.

The Red Bulls have long featured Paraguayan international Carlos Coronel as their starting goalkeeper, but recently saw backup AJ Marcucci suffer a season-ending knee injury.

“John [McCarthy] will help add MLS experience to our goalkeeper core and be a great example for our younger goalkeepers,” said RBNY head of sport Jochen Schneider. “He has shown up in big moments throughout his whole career and we are excited to add him to our organization.”

New York are McCarthy's fifth MLS team after previous stops with the Galaxy, LAFC, Inter Miami CF and Philadelphia.

Throughout his MLS career, he has kept 21 clean sheets in 111 regular-season matches and made 146 appearances across all competitions.

The Red Bulls currently sit 10th in the Eastern Conference with 39 points, trailing Chicago Fire FC for the final Eastern Conference Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot.

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