Patryk Klimala's Celtic to New York Red Bulls fee breaks MLS club's record

By David Walton

April 22, 2021

As we all know by now, Celtic appear to be getting a sizable fee to take Patryk Klimala from Celtic to New York Red Bulls.

The Poland under-21 international completed his move from Parkhead to the Big Apple earlier today. The former Jagiellonia Bialystok man reported cost Celtic £3.5million to sign him back in January 2020.

However, it has been reported by the Glasgow Times that Celtic will recoup that fee plus some add-ons. The fee they believe Celtic are getting is €4million [£3.46m].

Interestingly, this will actually break a New York Red Bulls record too. Klimala’s signing will ensure that he goes down as the most expensive striker the MLS outfit have ever signed. The tag was previously held by Mathias Jorgensen, who previously signed for €2.20m [£1.9m] from Odense [Transfermarkt].

The move makes Klimala the second most expensive in the club’s history outright. Only Alejandro Romero, a former attacking midfielder signed from Huracan, was acquired for more [£5.2m].

Klimala’s New York Red Bulls fee puts immediate pressure on him

Klimala was always going to get time to find his feet at Celtic. You wonder whether that will be the case with his new club however. His fee immediately puts a high level of both pressure and expectation on him.

It’s also important to acknowledge that he’s signed for the club as a Young Designated Player. This is one of three slots allowed to MLS clubs in order to sign star players from international markets. Klimala filling one of those gaps this year is a massive vote of confidence in him.

Of course, the MLS clubs aren’t particularly known for splashing out the cash. The record fee in the MLS was the £13.5m splashed out for Atlanta United to sign Gonzalo Martinez back in 2018 [Transfermarkt]. It’s hardly a land where transfer fees go wild.

Patryk Klimala celebrates a Celtic goal / (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

But that just adds more pressure onto Klimala. When clubs such as New York Red Bulls splash out on you, it means they see you as a priority investment. In other words, they’re expecting big things from you.

The Pole showed himself to have some good traits at Parkhead. A burst of pace and a decent level of composure in front of goal, the Polish Paddy certainly had his moments. Unfortunately, there were too many negatives to his game too. Poor ball-control, a lack of strength, and uninspiring combination play meant he never looked quite right in Scotland.

Hopefully, his move to the States brings out the best in him.

In other news, Alan Stubbs has credited Celtic for the early arrival of Dominic McKay.