Red Bull New York have traded defender Sean Nealis to D.C. United, the club announced today. New York will receive $350,000 in total General Allocation Money (GAM), the club will receive $200,000 in 2026 and then $150,000 in 2027.
“We want to thank Sean for everything he gave to the club,” said Head of Sport Julian de Guzman. “Sean handled himself with class every day and represented the club the right way. We are grateful for his time here and wish him all the best going forward.”
Nealis, 28, joined New York after being selected by the club in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. The defender played seven seasons with the club, where he made 187 appearances across all competitions, which ranks second in franchise history for appearances by a defender. Nealis recorded five goals and seven assists across all competitions.
The Massapequa, N.Y. native served as captain for the Red Bulls for one season, when he was named captain on February 20, 2023. He became the first New York native to be named captain of the club. In 2024, Nealis started and played in five matches during the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs run that culminated in New York winning their first ever Eastern Conference Championship. Nealis scored New York’s lone goal in the 2024 MLS Cup and became the second player in franchise history to score in an MLS Cup and the first defender to do so.
Neals was a main member of New York’s backline in 2021, which had a league-leading 13 shutouts. He made his MLS debut for New York on March 2, 2019 against the Columbus Crew and scored his first career MLS goal on May 11, 2019 against FC Dallas.
Prior to New York, Nealis was a four-year starter at Hofstra University, where he made 73 career appearances and recorded four goals and three assists. In his senior season, he was named captain and also was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year. Nealis was also named to the 2018 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team, becoming just the fourth Hofstra Men’s Soccer student-athlete in program history to earn the recognition.
TRANSACTION: Red Bull New York have traded defender Sean Nealis to D.C. United in exchange for $350,000 in General Allocation Money ($200,000 in 2026, $150,000 in 2027) on December 22, 2025.
