Kaku did not play up to his potential during the 2020 MLS season. (Photo courtesy of MLS)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
If Kaku has joined Al-Taawoun in Saudi Arabia, then that’s news to the Red Bulls.
The Major League Soccer club Tuesday morning released a statement that the Paraguayan international’s contract is still property of the team.
“We are aware of the announcement made by Altaawoun FC,” a club spokesman said. “The New York Red Bulls exercised a club option in Kaku’s Major League Soccer contract for the 2021 season, and he remains under contract with Major League Soccer and the New York Red Bulls.”
According to several reports from South American outlets, Kaku had joined the Saudi Arabian first division side. The team Monday unveiled a video showing Kaku in an Al-Taawoun jersey.
In a video, the club showed the man known as Alejandro Romero Gamarra in an Al-Taawoun uniform.
One report had the transfer at $3.5 million. If that was the case, then the Red Bulls would lose a considerable amount of money on the deal since the Major League Soccer club purchased his contract for from paying Huracan (Argentina) a club-record transfer fee of $6.25 million three years ago.
Kaku joined the Red Bulls in 2018 with high hopes. He had his bright spots, but things deteriorated with club management in 2019 when it refused a deal that would have sent him to Club America in Mexico.
The 5-7, 150-lb. Kaku’s agent told ESPN Mexico that the Red Bulls wanted $12 million to sell the midfielder, which was double what the Red Bulls paid Huracan in 2018. America refused to pay that amount.
After a sterling start in 2018, Kaku’s production and effective dipped in the last two seasons.
In 2018, he scored six goals and added 14 assists in 30 matches. In 2019, he found the net five times, but assisted on only six goals in 26 games. This past season, he collected two goals and five assists.
