HARRISON, N.J. – The Red Bulls have signed midfielder Jean-Christophe Koffi to an MLS Homegrown contract, effective Jan. 1, 2019, the club announced Friday.
Koffi also has signed a contract with Red Bull II for the remainder of the 2018 season, pending United Soccer League and U.S. Soccer Federation approval and the receipt of his P-1 visa.
The Red Bulls acquired Koffi’s Homegrown rights from D.C. in exchange for $75,000 in General Allocation Money. United also will receive a percentage of any sell-on fee, should Koffi be transferred outside of MLS.
Kristian Dyer of Metro New York had broken the story earlier in the week.
“We are pleased to welcome Jean-Christophe to our club,” Red Bulls sporting director Denis Hamlett said. “He is a talented young player that we are familiar with from the academy level. He continued to develop in college, and has demonstrated many of the qualities that we look for. It’s a big advantage to get him in now, so he can begin the acclimation process and be ready to hit the ground running next year.”
The 20-year-old Koffi, born in the Ivory Coast, spent four years in the D.C. United Academy before playing at the University of Virginia, where he was a teammate of Red Bulls Homegrown midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr. in 2015.
“Jean-Christophe is a good player and we’re glad to have him join our team,” Red Bulls head coach Chris Armas said. “We like the physical qualities and winning mentality he displayed in college and we believe this will help him be a great fit for us. We’re excited to get right to work with him and continue the process of his development.”
In 2017 Koffi started 21 games for the Cavaliers, earning a first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection while contributing three goals and four assists, which tied for the team lead. The 5-9, 175-lb. midfielder made 57 appearances for UVA over three seasons, with six goals and seven assists.
