A slew of New York City FC transfer news has ensured our very own Andrew Leigh, the man responsible for updating the Hudson River Blue Transfer Tracker, had a very busy week. For an NYCFC fanbase that’s been desperate for transfer activity, the flurry of storylines was welcomed amidst the blizzard.
Early last week, NYCFC opened its doors to the media for the first time ahead of the 2026 campaign, with new Sporting Director Todd Dunivant and Head Coach Pascal Jansen both hinting at new signings to replace lost talent from last season. Highlighted areas of need included central defense and holding midfield, to backfill the departed Justin Haak, and center forward, to cover for Alonso Martínez as he rehabs his ACL injury.
By Sunday evening, Dunivant appeared to have most of that sorted out.
It started on Thursday, when rumors trickled out that Jovan Mijatović, who failed to make an impact in New York after his $10 million transfer in 2024, might be swapping one loan move for another, traveling from OH Leuven in Belgium to Eintracht Braunschweig in Germany — that news was made official just this morning. It was the sort of almost newsworthy transfer update that NYCFC fans had grown used to choking down this time of year, with little else to talk about.
But by Friday, it was all kicking off. Reports out of ESPN Australia confirmed that Kai Trewin would be joining NYCFC from their City Football Group sister club, Melbourne City FC. Then, on Sunday morning, reports out of Sky Sports Germany claimed that center forward Moussa Sylla would be joining as a Designated Player from German giants Schalke 04, currently in 2. Bundesliga. By that same evening, Tom Bogert confirmed that NYCFC's own Julián Fernández would be loaned to Argentinian side Rosario Central with an option to buy.
Instead of spending the new cycle ruminating on where Mijatović might land, fans finally had some proper transfer stories to hyper-fixate on: A new DP striker, a versatile defensive addition, and the surprising exit of a regular contributor.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Signs of speedier signings
For a club that's been frustratingly slow in the market in recent years, this change of pace is notable. The former sporting director, David Lee, had a habit of building the plane as he flew it, often waiting until the summer window, more than halfway through the MLS season, to make key upgrades to the squad.
Even the winter signings had a way of feeling late, most often arriving at the very end of the window when the season had already begun. (See: Aiden O'Neill's arrival on April 25, 2025, right before Matchday 10.) This made for awkward integrations for new arrivals without proper preseasons, and forced NYCFC to play opening games shorthanded.
Lee, inarguably, created some good MLS teams — and left for Sporting Kansas City with an MLS Cup in his suitcase to prove it. But the general lack of urgency in his squad-building made for some unnecessarily difficult seasons, with one rebuild year phasing into the next as big-money talent arrived and departed, seeming directionless from season to season.
Dunivant, who just arrived from Sacramento Republic FC, is already showing signs of moving more quickly than his predecessor. This past weekend serves, at least anecdotally, as evidence that it's the club’s Sporting Director, and not CFG ownership, who controls the pace of how NYCFC operates in the global transfer market — something cast into doubt towards the end of Lee’s tenure.
