The New York Red Bulls completed a trade on Tuesday that will allow them to sign U.S. national team player Sacha Kljestan within days, sources confirmed to ESPN FC.
The Red Bulls sent left-back Ambroise Oyongo and midfielder Eric Alexander to the Montreal Impact in exchange for midfielder Felipe, allocation money and an international player spot for the 2015 season.
But the Red Bulls also received the first spot in the MLS allocation ranking, which determines which MLS clubs have the first chance to sign a U.S. national team player currently playing abroad or any former MLS player returning to the league.
"While we have a top target in mind, we are considering all options to make use of the top allocation spot," Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis said.
Goal.com earlier reported and sources confirmed to ESPN FC that a deal is imminent for the Red Bulls to add Kljestan, a 29-year-old midfielder who has played in Belgium for Anderlecht since 2010, when he left Chivas USA.
Kljestan is a product of Seton Hall University, which is about five miles from Red Bull Arena.
He has made 46 appearances for the U.S. national team, though he missed the cut for both the 2010 and 2014 World Cup squads.
Felipe was pulled aside by Montreal coach Frank Klopas ahead of practice Tuesday and told he was headed to New York. The 24-year-old Brazilian was a regular in Montreal's lineup since the team joined MLS three years ago.
Felipe will be reunited with former Impact coach Jesse Marsch, for whom he had his best year in 2012 and who was hired by the Red Bulls on Jan. 7 to replace coach Mike Petke.
"We feel that this trade puts us in a great position," Curtis said in a statement. "Felipe gives us options going forward that will allow us to play the style of soccer that we want to play. He is the type of player that can make an impact immediately and be a part of our future."
Oyongo, a 23-year-old left-back, is currently playing with Cameroon at the African Nations Cup. Alexander has started 60 games for the Red Bulls over the past two seasons.
Also on Tuesday, Former Wolverhampton defender Ronald Zubar agreed to join the Red Bulls. The team said Tuesday that Zubar will join the team shortly at its training camp in Florida. New York also said it had agreed to contracts with defenders Andrew Jean-Baptiste and Damien Perrinelle, who already are in camp.
The 29-year-old Zubar, who was born in Guadeloupe, has played for Caen (2002-06), Marseille (2006-09), Wolves (2009-13) and Ajaccio (2013-15).
Jean-Baptiste, a 22-year-old New Yorker, played college soccer at UConn, was drafted by Portland eighth overall in 2012, played for the Timbers for two years and spent last season with Chivas USA.
Perrinelle, 31, signed with the Red Bulls in July and made two regular-season appearances and four starts in the CONCACAF Champions League. New York did not exercise his 2014 option.
Information from ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle and The Associated Press was used in this report.