New York City FC approaches the opening of the summer MLS transfer window in a relatively good place in the table, in less dire need of reinforcements via the transfer market than at this same point last season.
As you may remember, the 2023 summer window—the MLS Secondary Transfer Window, if we’re being precise—was the busiest in the team’s history. It brought with it the signings of Birk Risa, Mounsef Bakrar, Julián Fernández, and Alonso Martinez, plus the initial short-term loan of AndrĂ©s Perea — and the return of Maxi Moralez.
That type of wave of new talent isn’t on the horizon for New York City when the Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 18. Sporting Director David Lee recently said his roster lacks the space or flexibility to add players this summer. That’s due to the busy other recent transfer windows, and also due to the good returns on investments the club has gotten from a handful of new or new-ish players who have been key to their 2024 turnaround.
But the cold realities of MLS roster rules and regulations – and the logic of standing pat with a recently-remade roster that’s holding its own and comfortably in position to make the MLS Cup Playoffs a little over halfway through its season – won’t stop us from doing some armchair Sporting Director-ing.
Below is a list of needs that NYCFC could or should look to address via player recruitment during this summer transfer window, if and when it becomes possible to fit a new signing or two onto the MLS roster.
Note that this is not a scouting report on specific players NYCFC should or could sign, but is instead a rundown of the areas of the current roster that make the most sense to address if NYCFC does dip a toe into the transfer waters.
1. Versatile fullback
New York City has four players already seeing minutes as part of the First Team’s fullback group, but one—Christian McFarlane, the Homegrown left-back who just made his first MLS start at age 17—is already reportedly heading overseas when he turns 18 in January. One of the co-starters at right-back, Mitja IleniÄŤ, was rumored to be a target of Hellas Verona in Italy’s Serie A during the annual January transfer frenzy in Europe. Another Homegrown fullback, 21-year-old Tayvon Gray, has been listed by MLS transfer specialist Tom Bogert as the most valuable right-back in MLS, though that’s just one list, and is no guarantee a team will make an offer to entice New York City to sell him anytime soon.
Those three, though, are all young and early in their careers, prospects in the sense that they could easily move clubs to challenge themselves in other non-MLS leagues. A player who could provide cover at either left- or right-back in case one departs this summer, or who could slide into a spot vacated by a move already in the works like McFarlane’s.
Andrew Leigh
4. Talles Magno replacement
The intrigue and speculation over Talles Magno’s future continue to drag on, but he still seems closer to a departure than to an about-face of a return to the NYCFC lineup. So a replacement will likely be needed. Specifically, a replacement for what Talles Magno was supposed to be for New York City: A player with flair effective at making something out of nothing with the ball at his feet, but one who can ply this trade successfully when deployed either as a winger or a striker.
Does it make sense to sign another Designated Player to fill that role? Maybe, depending on who might be available, or maybe not, because the team recently did drop sizable transfer fees to bring in wide attackers AgustĂn Ojeda and Julián Fernández, and also drafted Malachi Jones, who showed great potential before his unfortunate leg injury.
3. Attacking central midfielder
Could Santiago RodrĂguez be another player to draw transfer interest from a club abroad? He’s having an excellent season in 2024, tied for the team lead with eight goals and third on NYCFC with four assists, and is in the Top 10 across all MLS players in categories like key passes, shot- and goal-creating actions, and progressive passes.
Hannes Wolf and Santi are similar attacking players, but Wolf has settled in as the clear-cut starter on the right side of the New York City frontline. There’s also the uncertainty of how much more Maxi Moralez can offer at the age of 37 – and in the early days back from a serious knee injury – be it as a potential backup, substitute option, or sometimes-starter.
Maxi is also only under contract through the rest of this season, and it’s unclear if he’ll continue playing in 2025, so another No 10-type in the First Team could be needed sooner than later. As mentioned above, there’s always the potential to fill that need from within with a Homegrown prospect like, say, Máximo Carrizo. But for now, this counts as an area of the roster that could benefit from a new addition.
Hudson River Blue Staff
4. Another (backup) keeper
This is not to replace Matt Freese, who has been one of the best goalkeepers in MLS this season and fully deserves to be at the fully unimportant MLS All-Star Game in Columbus.
Another keeper would serve to have some clarity, or some more experience, at the backup spot. That’s no knock on Luis Barraza, but the reality is that he is in the final year of his contract, though there is an option for it to be extended to 2025. The same contract status, expiring at the end of 2024 but with options to be extended, applies to the other two goalkeepers on contracts with the First Team, Tomás Romero and recent Homegrown signing Alex Rando.
Any of those three reserve keepers might be deemed not the right fit for the current and future NYCFC goalkeepers’ union, and calls like that will have to be made on the soon side. So the market could be worth exploring, if there’s a desire to have more of a “sure thing,” or simply a different type of keeper, at the ready behind The Iceman.
