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Seemingly out of nowhere, the rumor mill as it pertains to New York City FC is buzzing with rumors of two potential departures.
The first — and possibly most notable of the bunch — involve DP, all-time best goalscorer, and first-ever signing David Villa. According to AS.com, NYCFC will not renew Villa’s contract at the end of the season. Villa, 36, is apparently considering retirement after that and will accept a different position within the club’s executive structure.
That isn’t the only news, though.
Another rumor that has gained wings within the last 24 hours is Jesus Medina joining former NYCFC manager Patrick Vieira at OGC Nice. According to reports, Nice has offered the Bronx Blues €6.5 million (approximately $7,500,000 US) for the young Paraguayan’s services.
Niza ofrece 6,5 millones de euros por Jesus Medina jugador del @NYCFC #AM1080
— Fútbol a lo Grande (@FALG1080am) August 17, 2018
On the surface, this could be seen as bad news for the NYCFC faithful. After all, you’re losing a proven scoring threat in Villa and a young player with his best years ahead of him in Medina. But look at it like this: Villa isn’t getting any younger, and there is still a huge question mark as to whether or not Medina is DP quality. When you take everything into account, this can be seen as an opportunity.
Though you potentially lose Villa and Medina, that is two Designated Player slots and a whole lot of money that becomes available for NYCFC going into 2019.
New York is a very, very prestigious city and is one of the most influential places in the entire world. Now, also take into account that manager Domé Torrent has managed at some top-tier clubs and has a pipeline to quality players that some MLS lifers wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
When you factor all of that in and have two DP slots at your disposal, the sky is the limit as it pertains to the caliber of players NYCFC can acquire. MLS isn’t what it used to be; teams like Atlanta United are a testament to that. There is no reason why a top-level player wouldn’t ply his craft in New York while in his athletic prime.
Yes, the departures of Villa and Medina wouldn’t be met with any fanfare by any means. But still, it’s not all bad when you thoroughly evaluate the situation.