With the Tim Ream transfer now finalized, the New York Red Bulls appear to be moving quickly to find his replacement. That player is former Chicago Fire centerback Wilman Conde, according to MLSSoccer.com.

"With Conde coming in, to me, he’s one of the league’s best center backs," Backe said. "I think he’s massive with his experience, his physical ability. With the Swedish guy, too, we’ll have two solid center backs."

"The Swedish guy" would be 6-foot-3 Markus Holgersson. Combined with the 6-foot-2 Conde, the Red Bulls would have one of the bigger centerback pairings in the league.

Conde's MLS rights are still controlled by the Fire, who tried to re-sign him before he left for Atlas of the Mexican Primera. The Red Bulls would have to compensate the Fire in some way for Conde's rights, most likely with allocation dollars or a draft pick. That's likely more of a formality, though, as the league tends to help facilitate these kinds of moves.

During four seasons with the Fire, Conde established himself as one of the league's top defenders when healthy. Since signing with Atlas in December 2010, he's made 13 Primera appearances and even scored two goals.

For more on this move, check out Red Bulls blog Once a Metro and Fire blog Hot Time In Old Town.