Report: Alexander Ring Set To Join NYCFC

Update Monday, January 30th:

According to Finnish tabloid Ilta-Santomat, Alexander Ring will join NYCFC either today or tomorrow. Believed to be able to command a transfer fee of approximately €300,000, German club Kasierslautern who is said to be struggling financially will also benefit from cutting his wages from their payroll.

January 28, 2017 – According to local German newspaper Die Rheinpfalz, Alexander Ring of 1. FC Kaiserslautern is set to join New York City FC.

Ring is a 25 year old Finnish central midfielder with 42 appearances for the national team, his current contract is set to expire this summer. Ring has played 94 games in Germany’s second division with FCK, starting 66 of those games. He has been rumored to be on his way out of Kaiserslautern in the January transfer window, however NYCFC appears to be the first team he has been linked with.

Ring is described as a versatile midfielder who can play anywhere centrally, he could give Patrick Vieira an option in midfield after it was announced that Mikey Lopez would be out 3-4 months following ankle surgery. As of now, there is no clear favorite to play central defensive midfield after the retirement of Andoni Iraola, the return of Federico Bravo from his loan, and Lopez’s injury further clouds that picture. Vieira told reporters this week that Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira was not one of their targets, which means that NYCFC will have to look elsewhere for a holding midfielder.

As of the time of publishing, we have been unable to independently verify the report. NYCFC would need to acquire an international roster spot for Ring if the report is correct. As of now neither Kaiserslautern or NYCFC have issued a statement on the report.