Source: Aurelien Collin closing in on new deal

Perhaps the biggest addition to the New York Red Bulls last season will be back in 2017 as defender Aurélien Collin is poised for a return to MLS.

Collin, a 30-year old central defender and one of the top centerbacks in MLS, is close to a new deal with the club. A team source tells Metro that Collin, currently out of contract, is poised to ink a deal that will keep him at Red Bull Arena in 2017.

A source close to the player tells Metro that Collin, who hails from France, had interest in Europe but that Red Bull “aggressively worked to get the deal done.” This second source credited Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis for the new contract.

“Ali made this happen. He was aggressive,” the second source said. “He got the job done.”

Collin joined the Red Bulls after a 1-7 start where the team struggled defensively and looked like a shell of their 2015 Supporters Shield side. In stepped the powerful central defender and the Red Bulls back four began to gel, sparking a side that had a hot summer and won the Eastern Conference and made the MLS Cup playoffs for a sixth straight season.

Joining MLS in 2011, Collin became an integral part of Sporting Kansas City but was traded to Orlando City following the 2014 season. He then was dealt to the Red Bulls last season in April and became a fan favorite at Red Bull Arena.

The second source said that multiple teams in Europe expressed interest in Collin over the past month.