2026 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[ZYanksRule]

Is it too late to use our annual buyout option? Does that provision still exist?

I was thinking about that too, but I don't think they would do that on such a high-priced player. They would try to sell him first, even if they have to do it at a loss.

And I think they'd rather keep him on loan than sell him at a loss.

We should sell Talles and open up his roster spot, but there's no chance we sell Jovan right now.

 

[ezbeezy214]

Is Thiago Martins still considered a DP?

 

[gbservis]

Is Thiago Martins still considered a DP?

Yes, he can be bought down with TAM, but the team has had this option a few times with various players and never chosen to exercise it.

We should sell Talles and open up his roster spot, but there's no chance we sell Jovan right now.

I agree they won't sell Jovan but I don't see why, his value has fallen off a cliff and there are no signs of recovery any time soon. He turns 21 this summer, he can barely get on the pitch for a Belgian Pro League team that's currently in position to be relegated. 1 goal in 14 appearances. Similar dismal production last season in Belgium and a year pouting in NY fill out his resume.

Dump him for a massive loss and move on, it will take a miracle at this point to even get a third of what we payed. Maybe they can get some leaks going that Juve want to sign him, that trick worked on us, could work again.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Yes, he can be bought down with TAM, but the team has had this option a few times with various players and never chosen to exercise it.



I agree they won't sell Jovan but I don't see why, his value has fallen off a cliff and there are no signs of recovery any time soon. He turns 21 this summer, he can barely get on the pitch for a Belgian Pro League team that's currently in position to be relegated. 1 goal in 14 appearances. Similar dismal production last season in Belgium and a year pouting in NY fill out his resume.

Dump him for a massive loss and move on, it will take a miracle at this point to even get a third of what we payed. Maybe they can get some leaks going that Juve want to sign him, that trick worked on us, could work again.

I think they wait one more year and see if they can recover some value from Jovan.

Jeez I just looked at his transfermarkt page. He has 0 goals and 1 assist in 14 appearances this season. Started the season in the XI, then got plastered to the bench, and now hasn't come off the bench in 4 of his team's last 5 games. What a disaster.

 

[Gene]

What a disaster.

Baba must be pissed.

 

[ezbeezy214]

Yes, he can be bought down with TAM, but the team has had this option a few times with various players and never chosen to exercise it.

That’s what I thought but hoped there was a point it became automatic. Could you do it with money you saved by not getting Haak?

 

[Gotham Gator]

I am not sure that Martins can be bought down. He was acquired for a few million, and that gets divided up over the length of his contract and added to his comp.

 

[mgarbowski]

Back in October EganSoccerWords said that Martins converts to max tam if the club simply renews his contract option. This was the exchange between him and gbservis:

Does Martins continue to be a DP as long as the team keeps picking up his options and he stays on this contract? That seems like a big one. It would be nice if they could sort that out so we don't have to keep burning a DP spot on an above-average CB. Martins has some elite skills, like his pace, but the holes in his game, like consistently getting bodied by big strikers like Benteke, and his near-zero aerial abilities on corners on both ends, put him far below DP level.

Nope max tam

Also, a few months earlier EganSoccerWords previously said that Martins's contract was originally structured to be capable of being bought down but MLS changed the rules on us so it became not possible. He didn't explain how but my guess is MLS changed how acquisition fees are amortized over the contract length. But the contract ended in 2025 and 2026 is his option year so I think the fee amortization is over and that explains how he can be bought down, if we so prefer.

 

[LionNYC]

Maxi Moralez is still a free agent at 39 come Matchday 2.

Players reported to the CFA today.

I think we're hovering around between 7th - 9th in the East right now.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

Back in October EganSoccerWords said that Martins converts to max tam if the club simply renews his contract option. This was the exchange between him and gbservis:





Also, a few months earlier EganSoccerWords also said that Martins's contract was originally structured to be capable of being bought down but MLS changed the rules on us so it became not possible. He didn't explain how but my guess is MLS changed how acquisition fees are amortized over the contract length. But the contract ended in 2025 and 2026 is his option year so I think the fee amortization is over and that explains how he can be bought down, if we so prefer.

Transfer fees used to count only toward the budget charge for the first 3 years of a contract for DPs. Now it’s the entire guaranteed length. So Mark is correct with reasoning that fees dont count on option years. Of course, this will require NYCFC to sign a new DP to take his spot so dont hold your breath lmao.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I think he makes too much to buy down his salary. His salary is $2.1 million guaranteed. The max salary to be bought down is somewhere around $1.7 million.

 

[gbservis]

I think he makes too much to buy down his salary. His salary is $2.1 million guaranteed. The max salary to be bought down is somewhere around $1.7 million.

Wow I didn't realize he made that much. For that money and taking up a DP spot the dude should be impacting games like the VVD of MLS. He's good but no where near that good. I think you could easily argue he's not even close to a top 5 MLS CB.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

This base salary is under. Guaranteed comp likely includes bonuses spread across the contract.

 

[Jon]

This has got to be the quietest off season I can ever remember.

 

[ZYanksRule]

This base salary is under. Guaranteed comp likely includes bonuses spread across the contract.

So it's based off base salary, not guaranteed?

 

[BxLio91]

There's not even rumors of players linked to us or agents using us to get deals for their players.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

So it's based off base salary, not guaranteed?

It is guaranteed compensation but if for example Thiago had a signing bonus to frontload his contract that hit is spread out over his guaranteed contract years and is no longer hitting the cap this year so his guaranteed compensation should be much closer to his base salary this season.

 

[gbservis]

There's not even rumors of players linked to us or agents using us to get deals for their players.

A small impact of Messi and Son is that agents and leakers in Europe have identified who the actual spenders in MLS are, and they no longer default to the CFG team.

 

[DeGrozz]

Magno is back in New York training.

 

[FootyLovin]

This has got to be the quietest off season I can ever remember.

Nope. Quieter seasons - by this date we had signed in
2020 - Gray as a homegrown
2021* - Jasson as a homegrown
2022 - no one
2024 - Yañez as a homegrown
2025 - Arroyave as a homegrown
2026 - Flax as a homegrown, Acito as a homegrown, Learned

* Delayed start to season.