Soccer

Red Bulls reports building steam

With the Red Bulls’ Eastern Conference rivals loading up this offseason, the team appears to be inching toward some moves of its own – some immediate and some potentially down the road.

The most tantalizing possibility is Barcelona standout Xavi, who is on the team’s radar according to continued reports. Though sources told The Post the star midfielder isn’t coming to New York in this transfer window, reports from Europe claim a move after the World Cup is possible.

“BOOM! Xavi has definitely accepted to move to New York Redbull after World Cup, according to Sky Italy,’’ tweeted Tancredi Palmeri, a correspondent for BeIn Sports, CNN and Gazzetta dello Sport.

A high-ranking source in MLS told The Post the Red Bulls “would love to see him [in New York], but he’s under contract at FC Barcelona for the foreseeable future, so it’s a hypothetical discussion.’’ Xavi is under contract through 2016, so it remains to be seen whether the La Liga powerhouse would let him go.

Chasing Designated Players can be a lengthy process, and there are more immediate moves to make as well. With the MLS SuperDraft Thursday in Philadelphia, and centerback Markus Holgersson no longer with the club, the Red Bulls know they need to add defensive depth. And Armando Lozano seems like the most likely target.

The 6-foot-1 centerback has been offered a contract by the Red Bulls, according to Diario Cordoba in Spain. The 29-year-old Lozano is a reserve for Cordoba in Liga-B, the Spanish second flight. He has also played for Barcelona’s B-team. With Holgersson gone, the Red Bulls’ third centerback is untested teenager Matt Miazga.

Another name that has cropped up is Ronald Vargas, which is actually a name from the past. Anderlecht-online.be has reported that Vargas wants to go on loan if his Belgian league team brings in Thorgan Hazard, and New York is his preferred destination.

Back in 2008, when Juan Carlos Osorio was coaching the Red Bulls, he scoured South America for a creative midfielder, and hand-picked Vargas. But when the Red Bulls front office couldn’t afford him and he made a $2 million move from cash-strapped Caracas to Club Brugge, Osorio settled for Venezuelan National Teammate Jorge Rojas. The rest is history.

Now, Vargas – who had 16 goals and seven assists in a huge 2010-11 season – is reportedly on the team’s radar years later. With coach Mike Petke and sporting director Andy Roxburgh both admitting they were after an attacking midfield presence this season, the 27-year-old Vargas certainly fits the bill.

After 22 goals in 71 games for Brugge, Vargas tore his ACL in Feb. 2011 and was transferred to rival Anderlecht that June. He rushed back to the field just seven months after his injury. But he re-injured the same knee the next month.

Vargas’ contract expires on June 30. If the report is accurate and if the Red Bulls manage to land him and if he’s healthy, he would provide a huge upgrade in the area of midfield creativity. And yes, that’s a lot of ifs.