2025 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

Do we take this recent DP signing as a signal that the plan is to stay the course with lower-profile DP signings even as we enter the new stadium, or is there still a chance we get a recognizable star in the Martins DP slot?

I don't think a 25-year-old DP No. 10 fits with the rest of our signings for the last few years. This is a much more veteran player than we've been signing since Talles and it does feel like a slight movement back towards signing more currently relevant players.

I know what you're saying about recognizable stars, but this is a step away from the 19-yo or 21-yo DPs we've been signing. 25 is borderline veteran in today's game and this is a player who should be in his prime for the entirety of his contract here. Much more of a finished product than Santi, Talles, Jovan, or Julian are.
 
I don't think a 25-year-old DP No. 10 fits with the rest of our signings for the last few years. This is a much more veteran player than we've been signing since Talles and it does feel like a slight movement back towards signing more currently relevant players.

I know what you're saying about recognizable stars, but this is a step away from the 19-yo or 21-yo DPs we've been signing. 25 is borderline veteran in today's game and this is a player who should be in his prime for the entirety of his contract here. Much more of a finished product than Santi, Talles, Jovan, or Julian are.

My initial point addressed the long-standing assumption that we'd launch the stadium with high-profile stars.

I believe there's a misunderstanding between U22 and Designated Player (DP) signings. Jovan and Julian are not DPs. Talles, while signed under the former 'Young DP' provision (a precursor to U22), isn't a traditional DP. Medina is the only true DP signed under 21.

I don't view this new Fernandez signing as negative, but he appears to be in the mold of DPs like Maxi, Mitri, Martins, and Santi.

While this financial investment is certainly preferable to squandering millions on unproven 18-year-olds, I'll remain unconvinced of a fundamental shift until we observe their next U22 signing. True improvement in the U22 strategy, to me, would mean either acquiring players with more established track records or, if they insist on 18-year-olds, selecting lower-cost options to free up transfer capital for other roster needs.
 
I don't think a 25-year-old DP No. 10 fits with the rest of our signings for the last few years. This is a much more veteran player than we've been signing since Talles and it does feel like a slight movement back towards signing more currently relevant players.

I know what you're saying about recognizable stars, but this is a step away from the 19-yo or 21-yo DPs we've been signing. 25 is borderline veteran in today's game and this is a player who should be in his prime for the entirety of his contract here. Much more of a finished product than Santi, Talles, Jovan, or Julian are.
Personally, I don't think a recognizable star, who will have to be 32 or older to accept our economic terms, has a better chance of becoming MLS elite than guys like Acosta, Maxi or Evander.
 
Personally, I don't think a recognizable star, who will have to be 32 or older to accept our economic terms, has a better chance of becoming MLS elite than guys like Acosta, Maxi or Evander.

I agree with that, too. We have a better chance hitting on the next Maxi Moralez than we do in finding the next David Villa.
 
Adding 27 and 25 year old vets into defensive midfield and the attack, in O'Neill and "Nico" (according to the HRB story), is just what we'd been clamoring for at the start of the season. Quality starters in or entering their prime to fill that maturity gap between Maxi and all the kids.

Still waiting to find out if they are in fact quality, but the profile is right.
 
Adding 27 and 25 year old vets into defensive midfield and the attack, in O'Neill and "Nico" (according to the HRB story), is just what we'd been clamoring for at the start of the season. Quality starters in or entering their prime to fill that maturity gap between Maxi and all the kids.

Still waiting to find out if they are in fact quality, but the profile is right.
I like the possibilities. Assuming health and fitness, we could have one heck of a squad going into the playoffs.
 
It's great the team is finally making signings - even better they're getting business done before the window opens so we can get them registered and available on July 24 -- or close to it.

It remains troubling it took so long to make additions. This before-the-window spending spree does make it feel like David Lee is finally feeling pressure and knows if results don't go our way this year, it might cost him his job.
 
One thing of interest that the club world cup has shown us is that Brazilian teams are way better than the world keeps thinking they are. Which means that our forray into young Brazilians playing in top teams there was clearly well-studied by city group.

It's weird that it kinda just... Stopped? Who is the last Brazilian we bought?
 

Brazilian CB has played for Jansen and is following the team on IG

CB doesn't seem to be a position of need for us, is this a sign that one of our current CBs are on the way out or just Pascal getting a guy he likes?
 
CB doesn't seem to be a position of need for us, is this a sign that one of our current CBs are on the way out or just Pascal getting a guy he likes?
My guess is the latter. If I'm reading it right, he's a left-footed defender, so that likely spells curtains for Birk Risa.

Big dude: 6'2", 203 lbs. I like it. Let's get physical.
 
My guess is the latter. If I'm reading it right, he's a left-footed defender, so that likely spells curtains for Birk Risa.

Big dude: 6'2", 203 lbs. I like it. Let's get physical.

They've kind of moved Strahinja to fullback at this point, so maybe this is a squad player. The transfer fee make him not likely to be a TAM player. This might just be depth so we don't have to play the same two guys every game.
 
Pleased to see the team getting moves lined up to go early in the window. I would still like to see us sign another quality winger. Even with Nico, I'm still not confident it will be enough to reduce Maxi's minutes enough to ensure he still has the legs for a deep playoff run.
 
would Lee take him back? if so, it would have to be as a non-DP I'm guessing and that would suck for santi. also with our new DP coming in, he'd be odd man out unless we get rid of julian and move the new DP to that wing.

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would Lee take him back? if so, it would have to be as a non-DP I'm guessing and that would suck for santi. also with our new DP coming in, he'd be odd man out unless we get rid of julian and move the new DP to that wing.

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No, I'm not taking him back. He decided to leave at the very end of preseason. He made his bed. We have now (finally) signed his replacement. Wish him all the best, but he did this to himself.
 
would Lee take him back? if so, it would have to be as a non-DP I'm guessing and that would suck for santi. also with our new DP coming in, he'd be odd man out unless we get rid of julian and move the new DP to that wing.

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hes not coming back here for a non DP spot. maybe as a loan with botafogo paying majority of salary?

if its another MLS team, how much of that $18M fee will be paid to botafogo or does NYCFC get a benefit from that?
 
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