Making a List: 5 Players NYCFC need to sign this transfer window

The 2024 preseason officially began this week, and New York City FC are expected to be busy in the soccerball marketplace now that the primary transfer window opened today. 

NYCFC set a new club record by bringing in 13 players last year, but even those additions didn’t replenish a severely depleted squad. Four of those 13 have either left the team or are expected to leave by December 31, and the New York City front office need to make some key signings if the club are to be competitive in 2024.

Here at Hudson River Blue, we identified five positions that New York City need to fill.

1. Striker

The most obvious hole in NYCFC’s lineup last year remains an issue despite the club signing Mounsef Bakrar in July. 

Bakrar brought some much-needed striker energy to the team, and his positional intelligence allowed the rest of the attack to become more dangerous. But the 22-year-old sometimes struggled with the pace and physicality of MLS, and scored just three goals in 770 minutes over 10 appearances. 

That’s not terrible, and it’s better than the one goal Taty Castellanos scored in 446 minutes during his first season with the club. But the question remains: Will Bakrar follow the path blazed by Castellanos and bulk up in the offseason, work on his speed, and emerge as a top-level striker? Or will the club sign a goal-scorer who can find the back of the net on opening day and score the 15 to 20 goals New York City need from a marquee striker?

NYCFC Regular Season Stats

* COVID-shortened year
** Doesn’t include 2019

Right now, it looks like New York City are considering Door Number Two. The club have been linked to Matías Arezo, a 21-year-old striker signed to Granada CF in La Liga but who spent last season on loan with Club Athletic Peñarol in Uruguay, scoring 22 goals in 38 appearances. Transfermarkt value Arezo at $7.5 million.

2. Playmaker

The experiment of letting Santiago Rodríguez run the NYCFC midfield didn’t work out: The club’s newest Designated Player is at his best when he’s playing in a more advanced position, not pulling the strings in the center of the field.

The lack of creativity in the midfield hurt the club last year. Keaton Parks is a solid box-to-box midfielder, and James Sands is one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS, but the team needs a playmaker who’s comfortable with the ball at his feet and who can control the pace of the game. 

In other words, they need a Maxi Moralez. Not Maxi Moralez, the 36-year-old currently signed to the club, and who is recovering from an ACL injury. Rather, a Maxi Moralez, a creative force who resembles the player who transformed NYCFC when he was signed back in 2017. 

This past season midfielder Richy Ledezma didn’t pass the audition to assume that role, and will return to PSV Eindhoven at the end of his loan. There is no transfer buzz for the position at this time, but you can be sure that sporting director David Lee is sending telexes to the City Football Group scouting network for a playmaker.

3. Left Back

One of the biggest additions in the offseason was left-back Braian Cufré. The 26-year-old Argentine was brought in on loan from La Liga side RCD Mallorca, and he took over the starting spot from Malte Amundsen, who was later traded to Columbus Crew. (And who flourished under head coach Wilfried Nancy, playing a key role in winning the MLS Cup, but that’s a different story.) 

Long story short: It didn’t work out.

Cufré was a competent player, but he never stood out, and he failed to catalyze the attack on the left. Cufré earned the sixth-highest salary on the team, trailing only the three Designated Players, the head-scratching Matías Pellegrini, and the deserving Sands, and yet he didn’t play or act like it. When Cufré lost his starting position at the end of the season to Kevin O’Toole, the team enjoyed their best run of form all year. Cufré is expected to rejoin Mallorca after his koan ends on December 31.

That leaves NYCFC with a hole at left-back. Will O’Toole be the presumed starter? Possibly, which means the club should sign a young talent they can develop along the lines of Mitja Ilenič, who competes for playing time with Tayvon Gray at right-back. 

Or will the front office look for an – ahem – Amundsen-quality player who can feed the attack from Day One? That seems more likely. Talles Magno is poised for a breakout year on the left wing, but the only way he can shine is if he is given support on the left flank. 

Writing for MLS.com, pundit Joseph Lowery proposes that NYCFC sign Diego Palaciosfrom LAFC. “NYCFC could use an elite left back to help push them back above the playoff line next season,” Lowery writes. “Palacios is a great fit for the possession-heavy style manager Nick Cushing likes to use.”

4. Defensive Midfielder

This one is simple. NYCFC must sign Andrés Perea to a permanent deal.

The midfielder was electric during his loan from the Philadelphia Union — he doesn’t fit their transitional system, but he flourishes in New York City’s possession-based play. NYCFC make Perea look good, and Perea makes NYCFC look even better.

The need for Parera is all the more pressing now that Alfredo Morales left the team. The bean counters at NYCFC’s midtown offices should wrap up a deal as soon as possible.

5. Central Defender

This is more about depth than a pressing need. New York City have a solid central defensive tandem in Birk Risa and Thiago Martins, but they need a solid backup at the position in case of injury, suspension, or other absence. 

Tayvon Gray, Justin Haak, and James Sands all can fill in at center back in a time of need, but the team should have a defender on the bench. They signed Tony Alfaro before the start of last season, but the 30-year-old wasn’t a good fit at NYCF and he was traded to LA Galaxy in the secondary transfer window. 

Interestingly, NYCFC declined the option for Samuel “Kwaku” Owusu, an imposing central defender who was a regular starter for NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro. The Homegrown Owusu made the league minimum $67,360, but a club that likes to develop talent decided that his future doesn’t include NYCFC.

Really, NYCFC need to sign another Sebastien Ibeagha, who was plucked from the lower leagues in 2018. The central defender was behind Alexander Callens and Maxime Chanot in the depth chart, but he found playing time at LAFC after joining that club in 2021, and was a regular starter for FC Dallas last year. 

It’s always reassuring to have that kind of quality on the bench.