2026 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[mgarbowski]

People keep treating this window in isolation.To repeat myself: this situation started a year ago. We had 3 strikers not counting Reid in January 2025.

• We loaned 1 almost immediately
  • did not replace
• Sold another in summer 2025
  • did not replace
• Saw our CSO resign Sept 30
• Saw our first choice striker injured November 7
• Finally name a CSO December 1 and then deferred his start another month
• Bogert reports the Sylla deal January 25 nearly 12 weeks after Martinez injury; 10 days later that deal is off and European window is closed immediately thereafter, restricting options.
• Feb 24 no wisp of smoke of a rumor

The organization chose to run the back end of the season with Martinez and a teenager who they used for just 26 minutes in 19 games (season plus playoffs) since the Bakrar transfer. He actually averaged more minutes before the Bakrar transfer. After Martinez was injured, Reid has played 1 minute in 3 games. If they trust Reid, I don't know why he does not see the field. If they don't trust him, what they've been doing makes even less sense.

Sure, the Sylla transfer was bad luck (putting aside EganSoccerWords tinfoil theory which I'm almost starting to credit).
The whole damn package is a terrible organizational failure.

 

[gbservis]

People keep treating this window in isolation.To repeat myself: this situation started a year ago. We had 3 strikers not counting Reid in January 2025.

• We loaned 1 almost immediately
  • did not replace
• Sold another in summer 2025
  • did not replace
• Saw our CSO resign Sept 30
• Saw our first choice striker injured November 7
• Finally name a CSO December 1 and then deferred his start another month
• Bogert reports the Sylla deal January 25 nearly 12 weeks after Martinez injury; 10 days later that deal is off and European window is closed immediately thereafter, restricting options.
• Feb 24 no wisp of smoke of a rumor

The organization chose to run the back end of the season with Martinez and a teenager who they used for just 26 minutes in 19 games (season plus playoffs) since the Bakrar transfer. He actually averaged more minutes before the Bakrar transfer. After Martinez was injured, Reid has played 1 minute in 3 games. If they trust Reid, I don't know why he does not see the field. If they don't trust him, what they've been doing makes even less sense.

Sure, the Sylla transfer was bad luck (putting aside EganSoccerWords tinfoil theory which I'm almost starting to credit).
The whole damn package is a terrible organizational failure.

The deeper issue contributing all of this is the clubs seeming unwillingness to ever cut their losses and move on. They want to play this high risk, high reward, develop and sell game with guys like Magno, Jovan, Ferenadez and Ojeda but then they seem to have this policy where they always loan these guys instead of selling when things don't work out. Why is Magno even back, at this point just cut him? The idea that its going to go differently this time around is absurd. Just cut him and move on. How many loans does Jovan get while he ties up our U21 slot, you whiffed, just sell him for what you can get and move on. If you want to go high risk you have to be willing to move quickly.

It matters because it affects the depth you are talking about, instead of having an extra roster spot to add Christian Ramirez on loan while we also look for a DP striker, we have to pretend Magno who hates contact and always drifts wide left is going to become a striker because he says he wants to. If Jovan and Fernadez were gone we could be rolling the dice with another set of U21 players in these attacking positions of need. Instead CFG scouting takes these giant risks with key roster spots, completely whiffs on multiple guys and our roster is handcuffed for years as a result.

 

[mgarbowski]

The deeper issue contributing all of this is the clubs seeming unwillingness to ever cut their losses and move on. They want to play this high risk, high reward, develop and sell game with guys like Magno, Jovan, Ferenadez and Ojeda but then they seem to have this policy where they always loan these guys instead of selling when things don't work out. Why is Magno even back, at this point just cut him? The idea that its going to go differently this time around is absurd. Just cut him and move on. How many loans does Jovan get while he ties up our U21 slot, you whiffed, just sell him for what you can get and move on. If you want to go high risk you have to be willing to move quickly.

It matters because it affects the depth you are talking about, instead of having an extra roster spot to add Christian Ramirez on loan while we also look for a DP striker, we have to pretend Magno who hates contact and always drifts wide left is going to become a striker because he says he wants to. If Jovan and Fernadez were gone we could be rolling the dice with another set of U21 players in these attacking positions of need. Instead CFG scouting takes these giant risks with key roster spots, completely whiffs on multiple guys and our roster is handcuffed for years as a result.

They even extended Magno a year, presumably because if they did not there would be less chance of selling him, but then they didn't sell him. Now he's in the last year of his contract. I guess some leagues still have open windows, but unless he's sold in the next few weeks they're left with selling a half season this summer because anyone can just wait until next winter then.
If we do sell him soon, we have even less attacking depth.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

Have a feeling it won't matter who the cso is

 

[ZYanksRule]

Have a feeling it won't matter who the cso is

Don't think that's true. Dunivant has been moving quicker than Lee ever did, and Lee has like half a roster for SKC with the season already underway.

 

[FootyLovin]

People keep treating this window in isolation.To repeat myself: this situation started a year ago. We had 3 strikers not counting Reid in January 2025.

• We loaned 1 almost immediately
  • did not replace
• Sold another in summer 2025
  • did not replace
• Saw our CSO resign Sept 30
• Saw our first choice striker injured November 7
• Finally name a CSO December 1 and then deferred his start another month
• Bogert reports the Sylla deal January 25 nearly 12 weeks after Martinez injury; 10 days later that deal is off and European window is closed immediately thereafter, restricting options.
• Feb 24 no wisp of smoke of a rumor

The organization chose to run the back end of the season with Martinez and a teenager who they used for just 26 minutes in 19 games (season plus playoffs) since the Bakrar transfer. He actually averaged more minutes before the Bakrar transfer. After Martinez was injured, Reid has played 1 minute in 3 games. If they trust Reid, I don't know why he does not see the field. If they don't trust him, what they've been doing makes even less sense.

Sure, the Sylla transfer was bad luck (putting aside EganSoccerWords tinfoil theory which I'm almost starting to credit).
The whole damn package is a terrible organizational failure.

Agree with this as assessment of front office. Not ready to lump Dunivant in with this yet.

 

[CCMore]

Every time I see a new message in this thread I say a small prayer the message is going to be an obscure tweet linking a player to the club. Such a strange thing to pray for but here we are.

 

[Shwafta]

Every time I see a new message in this thread I say a small prayer the message is going to be an obscure tweet linking a player to the club. Such a strange thing to pray for but here we are.

Sorry, this one isn't an obscure tweet linking a player to the club, either. Sorry to get your hopes up.

 

[mgarbowski]

Agree with this as assessment of front office. Not ready to lump Dunivant in with this yet.

Dunivant inherited a history. It covers more than strikers and is filled with problems in attack running from 2023 to now:

• An utterly garbage attack in 2023 which I gave them a pass for, at least in part
• Playing all of last year without a solid 10. Maxi shared spots 22-30 on the MLS Assist leader board and didn't compensate for that poor production with goals.
• Here we are in 2026 running Maxi back out again. I thought Nico was his replacement but we've played him everywhere but, and Nico has 2 assists, 0.13 A/90 for us over 17 games including playoffs. Pointing that is unfair to him because he's been tasked with scoring instead, but this team needs an assist generator and it's unclear if we have one.

Dunivant needs to fix it and it will probably take more than 1 window. But as an organization this is now 3 out of 4 years starting a season with an attack missing key parts, and 2 out of 4 starting a season without a trusted striker. From 2015-2022 I think we once started a season missing a key attacking position of need - 2019 where we did get Heber in the winter window. And that team still started a prime Maxi, Mitrita, and J Lewis on Opening Day, with Taty, Medina and Shradi on the bench. From 2023-2026 NYCFC starting a season with an incomplete attack is business as usual.

 

[mgarbowski]

Every time I see a new message in this thread I say a small prayer the message is going to be an obscure tweet linking a player to the club. Such a strange thing to pray for but here we are.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2026643569499324748

 

[FootyLovin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2026643569499324748

Um. Yes, please.

ETA: Bodo Gimpt is by far the darling Cinderella to root for this year (and in years past). So much fun.
ETA2: Anyone worried about us playing home matches in winter needs to tune in to watch BG play Champion's League matches in Norway in early February.

 

[joe]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2026643569499324748

Is it still serendipity if it's bad news Why Bodø/Glimt won't lose their star players this summer

 

[mgarbowski]

Um. Yes, please.

ETA: Bodo Gimpt is by far the darling Cinderella to root for this year (and in years past). So much fun.
ETA2: Anyone worried about us playing home matches in winter needs to tune in to watch BG play Champion's League matches in Norway in early February.

I don't know enough to have an opinion but I do have a concern. In the last 2 years in domestic play he's managed 0.33 and 0.36 G/90. Decent. Last year in Europa he had 0.13 G/90 in 16 games. But he's now renowned for his UCL this year at 0.66 G/90 in 10 games. If in fact his club is willing to sell him now I fear they believe his UCL production is a small sample anomaly and they're grabbing a payday at the apex.

On another note, if the report is accurate, and who knows, it's quite sad that our rival for signing him is a team that already has Bouanga and Son. Hauge would be expected to be their third best scorer at best. We would need him to carry the team.

 

[ZYanksRule]

If this is real a $10-15 million transfer fee would be, I believe, a Club record.

 

[Jon]

I don't know enough to have an opinion but I do have a concern. In the last 2 years in domestic play he's managed 0.33 and 0.36 G/90. Decent. Last year in Europa he had 0.13 G/90 in 16 games. But he's now renowned for his UCL this year at 0.66 G/90 in 10 games. If in fact his club is willing to sell him now I fear they believe his UCL production is a small sample anomaly and they're grabbing a payday at the apex.

On another note, if the report is accurate, and who knows, it's quite sad that our rival for signing him is a team that already has Bouanga and Son. Hauge would be expected to be their third best scorer at best. We would need him to carry the team.

I don't follow European soccer, but Transfermrkt has him as a winger. Do we really need ANOTHER winger?

 

[moogoo]

If this is real a $10-15 million transfer fee would be, I believe, a Club record.

based on his stats... is he worth that kind of money? I don't think that's an easy yes for me. and if he's not a true #9, even less worth it.

 

[FootyLovin]

I don't know enough to have an opinion but I do have a concern. In the last 2 years in domestic play he's managed 0.33 and 0.36 G/90. Decent. Last year in Europa he had 0.13 G/90 in 16 games. But he's now renowned for his UCL this year at 0.66 G/90 in 10 games. If in fact his club is willing to sell him now I fear they believe his UCL production is a small sample anomaly and they're grabbing a payday at the apex.

On another note, if the report is accurate, and who knows, it's quite sad that our rival for signing him is a team that already has Bouanga and Son. Hauge would be expected to be their third best scorer at best. We would need him to carry the team.

I probably should have clarified my "Yes please." He and BG have been a lot of fun to watch in UCL. I haven't gone further than the handful of matches I've seen of him there. No idea what he merits. If BG is selling high, well, that's not great for us. If his UCL form is indicative of what he can deliver in MLS, then I think we'll be happy.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I probably should have clarified my "Yes please." He and BG have been a lot of fun to watch in UCL. I haven't gone further than the handful of matches I've seen of him there. No idea what he merits. If BG is selling high, well, that's not great for us. If his UCL form is indicative of what he can deliver in MLS, then I think we'll be happy.

Our scouts have done a really nice job on veteran players over the last few years, so I trust them if they are interested in this guy.

 

[mgarbowski]

I don't follow European soccer, but Transfermrkt has him as a winger. Do we really need ANOTHER winger?

IMO we're in need of another reliable scoring winger, but not in lieu of a striker.

 

[Alex Da Silva]

I don't follow European soccer, but Transfermrkt has him as a winger. Do we really need ANOTHER winger?

The ideal would be he can play at the 9 very well, but also be able to shift out to the wing so he can play with Alonso as well so I am ok if that is the case. Unrelated but he is a really fun media presence if you have seen the ucl after show joking around with the cbs crew, seems like a great guy