Mounsef Bakrar is officially headed back to Europe as New York City FC just announced he's left the club to join Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia's top flight.
This announcement confirms a rumored Bakrar departure that's been discussed in the rumor mill for weeks. It confirms the link with Dinamo Zagreb that we covered in our Transfer Tracker on July 18, specifically a Sportske Novosti report stating that Bakrar was on the verge of joining Dinamo to improve their forward depth.
New York City paid a reported $2 million transfer fee to sign Bakrar from NK Istra 1961 in Croatia in 2023, though it's unclear at this time what they'll receive from Dinamo Zagreb to send the 24-year-old Algerian striker back.
Bakrar's time at NYCFC got off to a promising start. He joined the club on July 22, 2023, the first of six incoming transfers that almost salvaged the season. Bakrar came in expected to be the team's new solution at striker after Taty Castellanos left midseason in 2022 and Talles Magno failed to thrive while playing as a center-forward.
Bakrar made 10 starts that first year in MLS, scoring three goals as he took over as starting striker. New York City FC went 4W-3D-3L (1.50 points per match) in that 2023 stretch, an improvement on the club's 5W-11D-8L (1.08 PPM) record in the 24 MLS games prior, so while adding Bakrar and others wasn't enough to clinch playoff soccer, there was optimism heading into 2024.
Then Bakrar scored just four goals in 28 appearances that following year, failing to net a single goal in his first 10 starts that season. His struggles to score were epic and almost painful to watch at times, with enough glaring chances missed to inspire an open letter published in these Hudson River Blue pages proposing that fans show Bakrar extra support with a standing ovation in the ninth minute.
The early 2024 scoreless streak snapped for Bakrar in highly dramatic fashion when he came off the bench to score the winner in the first Hudson River Derby played at Citi Field, one of the more cathartic moments of that season.
By around that time, Bakrar lost his starting spot to Alonso Martínez, a player initially considered a depth piece on the wing, not a threat to Bakrar's role as the club's No 9. Bakrar made a ton of appearances as a substitute following Martínez's ascent, but the role of impact sub didn't suit him even despite the early heroics against the Red Bulls. He was Pascal Jansen's most-used substitute in 2025, coming off the bench 16 times already in MLS play this season, but his sub appearances rarely produced end product.
Since the 2024 season, Bakrar made 31 appearances as a substitute in MLS matches (playoffs included), averaged 16 minutes on the pitch in those appearances, and scored three goals on 27 shots attempted, with just eight of those shots put on target.
He ends his time at New York City with a total of nine league goals in 59 appearances, and 10 total goals in 70 appearances across all competitions.
New York City FC | Mounsef Bakrar MLS Stats
| Year | GP | GS | Min | G | G/90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | 5 | 592 | 2 | 0.30 |
| 2024 | 28 | 14 | 1349 | 4 | 0.27 |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 760 | 3 | 0.36 |
| Total | 59 | 29 | 2701 | 9 | 0.30 |
Below find the full text of NYCFC's official statement on Bakrar's sale to Dinamo Zagreb.
Today New York City FC announced that it has transferred Forward Mounsef Bakrar to Croatian side GNK Dinamo Zagreb.
The Algerian Forward arrived at New York City in the summer of 2023 and went on to feature in 70 matches across all competitions for the ‘Boys in Blue,’ scoring 10 goals along the way including a winner in last season’s Hudson River Derby.
“We would like to thank Mounsef for all his contributions during his time with the Club,” said Sporting Director David Lee. “Mounsef brought great energy and a strong work ethic every day, and his commitment to the team was evident from the moment he arrived. We believe that a transfer back to Europe at this time is best for all parties and we wish Mounsef all the best in the next stage of his career.”
Bakrar returns to Croatia where the Forward made 33 appearances at the domestic level for NK Istra, netting eight goals and tallying three assists across 33 appearances.
“It’s been an incredible experience playing for New York City. I want to thank everyone at the Club for making me feel at home from day one,” said Forward Mounsef Bakrar. “I take with me wonderful memories from my time here and thank all of my teammates, staff and fans for all the support. I’ll be following the team closely and wishing everyone all the best for the rest of the season.”
Everyone at the Club wishes Mounsef the best in Croatia.
