The New York Red Bulls have loaned Panamanian center back Fidel Escobar from Sporting San Miguelito pending receipt of his ITC, the club announced today. Escobar, 22, joins on an 18-month loan, through the end of the 2018 season.

"We are pleased to add Fidel to our roster," said Red Bulls Sporting Director Denis Hamlett. "We've had our eye on him for a while, and had the opportunity to watch him play in the Gold Cup. He is a young player that has a lot of qualities we like in a center back."

Escobar began his professional career at San Francisco FC before moving to Sporting San Miguelito, also in Panama City. Fellow Red Bull Michael Amir Murillo is currently on loan from San Francisco FC. Murillo and Escobar have been teammates at both the youth and senior levels for Panama.

He most recently spent the 2016/17 season on loan to Sporting B, the reserve side for Sporting CP in Portugal. While on loan to Sporting B he made 14 appearances, including 12 starts, and scored one goal in the Ledman Liga Pro season.

The Panama City native earned his first senior cap in February of 2015 in a friendly against the United States. He started two of Panama's 2017 Gold Cup matches, including the quarterfinal loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday night.