New York City FC look to have found a new Designated Player in the second division in Spain.
Both César Luis Merlo and Tom Bogert report that Nicolás "Nico" Fernández, 25-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder of Elche CF, already signed with NYCFC and will officially join the team when the summer transfer window opens on July 24.
In maybe the most conclusive piece of evidence, Fernández now follows New York City on Instagram.
Merlo first dropped word of Fernández's impending arrival on Thursday, July 3, when he posted on X that the player signed a four-year contract. On Sunday, July 6, Tom Bogert confirmed that initial report and added that Fernández will be the club's new Designated Player.
Fernández had a breakout year with Elche in 2024-2025, recording six goals and eight assists in league play in the Segunda División while helping Elche attain automatic promotion to La Liga for the 2025-2026 season by finishing second in the table to Levante UD. Elche competed in the Segunda División against teams familiar to anybody who follows La Liga, including Deportivo de La Coruña, Granada CF, and Sporting Gijon.
To put Fernández's performances in perspective, his 14 goal contributions in league play in 2024/25 tower over his next-best season, when he had four goals and one assist in the Segunda División in 2023/24 season .
The left-footed Fernández is likely a replacement for Santiago Rodríguez, who left the club at the start of the season to join Botafogo in Brazil's Série A, and made appearances with the team in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Fernández plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Elche, which makes him something close to a like-for-like change with Rodríguez. If that's the case, we can expect that that 38-year-old midfielder Maxi Moralez will still function as the team's playmaker after starting in all 20 of league games this season.
Fernández has also spent time in his career as a left-back and wingback.
It should come as no surprise that New York City is being proactive this transfer window. The club has the most flexible roster in the league, with just one Designated Player spot actively filled, and one of the lowest payrolls in MLS, coming under at #24 out of 30 teams. In addition, the squad is the second-youngest in the league, with an average age of 24.7 years.
Despite the that, the team is competitive under first-year head coach Pascal Jansen. NYCFC has been above the Eastern Conference playoff line since May 14, and currently sits in 11th Place overall out of the league's 30 teams.
Oliver Strand
Oliver Strand
