A transfer anticipated for many months is finally official, as New York City FC today announced that 18-year-old fullback Christian McFarlane is joining Manchester City FC.
The club did not disclose the transfer fee it received to sell McFarlane on to City Football Group relative Manchester City, but NYCFC says it will "receive a sell-on percentage if McFarlane is sold in the future." Steven Goff of The Washington Post referred to McFarlane's transfer to Manchester City as a "multimillion-dollar move" when reporting on the move on January 21. Transfermarkt values the defender at €2 million.
This official announcement ends many months of McFarlane-to-Manchester City transfer speculation, which dates back to late March 2024. McFarlane departs permanently having made 13 appearances in all competitions for New York City FC, who signed him to a Homegrown contract in September 2021 when he was just 14 years old – though he'd been in the NYCFC Academy since 2018 when he was just 11 years old.
In announcing his sale, NYCFC points out that McFarlane is their first "Homegrown player to have gone through the club’s entire development pipeline and join a Premier League side." Not just any Premier League side, though, but the one at the top of the multi-club City Football Group pyramid, Manchester City.
An agreement for the move was reportedly sealed in October, though the wait stretched to January for the sale to be announced. It's not like the two negotiating teams were foreign to one another, after all.
NYCFC said McFarlane’s absence from their preseason roster was due to ongoing transfer talks, and multiple recent reports indicated his move to Manchester was imminent this January. Conveniently, McFarlane turned 18 on January 25, which makes it simpler to move and play professionally abroad – and a Manchester City transfer makes for a nice and lucrative 18th birthday gift.
Development with NYCFC
Much of the playing time McFarlane saw with the NYCFC First Team came in the 2024 Leagues Cup, with the fullback included in Nick Cushing’s Starting XI for all five matches NYCFC played in the tournament. He filled in admirably while Kevin O’Toole recovered from hamstring injuries, starting nine times and not looking out of place against competition from MLS and LigaMX.
Oliver Strand
His minutes for NYCFC were limited, but McFarlane garnered lots of praise, hype, and recognition as he developed in New York. He was ranked 20th on the latest MLS 22 Under 22 list of the league’s best young talents, and earned a place on The Guardian’s Next Generation 2024 list of 60 of the best young talents in world football.
Just the 13 appearances for NYCFC, but McFarlane got plenty more professional playing time at the MLS NEXT Pro level with NYCFC II, making 33 appearances across all competitions in parts of three seasons. That included McFarlane’s final game for any direct NYCFC affiliate when he started and played 89 minutes for the IIs on October 20, 2024, in NYCFC II’s first-ever playoff match, an away defeat vs. Philadelphia Union II.
McFarlane faced off against Philadelphia’s teen phenom Cavan Sullivan in that playoff game, and the two could maybe eventually find themselves teammates – Sullivan’s Homegrown contract with the Union reportedly includes a clause that transfers him to Manchester City after he turns 18 in September 2027.
If McFarlane blossoms while playing in England or elsewhere in Europe, get ready to hear about him as a sought-after dual national eligible to represent the United States.
The teen defender was born in England but raised in New York and is eligible to represent both the United States and England, though he's predominately played for England at the youth international levels. He’s played three times for the England U18s, 13 times for the England U17s, and five times for the England U16s, and is provisionally cap-tied to England due to his participation in UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification.
What his exit means
With his departure for Manchester, McFarlane is the fourth player signed to a Homegrown contract with NYCFC to leave for the test of European soccer. Joe Scally was first to go when he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2021, James Sands left on loan for FC St. Pauli in the German Bundesliga on January 1st, and Andres Jasson signed with Aalborg BK in Denmark in June 2024.
McFarlane’s path looks the most like Scally's, who signed for Borussia Mönchengladbach in a seven-figure transfer when he was 17 and moved to the German club when he turned 18. Scally has gone on to make over 100 Bundesliga appearances for Monchengladbach since leaving NYCFC, where he played just seven times for the First Team before leaving for Europe.
With McFarlane officially gone, NYCFC looks thin at the left-back position. Kevin O’Toole emerged as the team’s clear-cut starter at the position in 2024, but as it stands, his only clear backup on the roster is Tayvon Gray, who usually spends his time at right-back. Might this be a position Sporting Director David Lee looks to strengthen before the MLS Primary Transfer Window closes?
Here is the full statement from New York City FC:
Monday, Jan 27, 2025 at 08:59 AM
New York City FC today announced that it has sold defender Christian McFarlane to English Premier League champions Manchester City. New York City FC will receive a sell-on percentage if McFarlane is sold in the future.
The 18-year-old, who was born in the United Kingdom, becomes the first New York City FC Homegrown player to have gone through the club’s entire development pipeline and join a Premier League side. McFarlane joined New York City FC’s academy in 2018 at 11-years-old and represented every age category, before going on to progress through Major League Soccer (MLS) NEXT Pro, eventually making his first team debut in 2024.
“We are incredibly proud to see Christian reach this incredible milestone in his career. He’s a player who has come all the way through our academy system, continued his development with New York City FC II in MLS NEXT Pro, and ultimately earned his place in our first team,” Sporting Director David Lee said. “For Christian now to have the opportunity to continue his journey at Manchester City, a club at the pinnacle of world football, is a testament to his hard work, talent, and dedication. I can't wait to follow his career and see how well he's going to do in Manchester knowing that he'll give everything he can to reach the highest level he possibly can in football.
“Christian displayed signs of elite potential in our academy at a very early age and signed his first professional contract before he turned 15, which is unusual, but speaks to the trust and commitment we had in each other, and the belief in the vision we presented that our development pathway could help Christian maximize his potential and achieve his dream of playing in Europe,” added Lee. “The amount of work that goes into producing a player that can perform at our first team level, let alone do so at the age of 17, is enormous and a huge credit goes to all the staff in the academy for all the work they have done to help Christian.
“This moment reflects the amount of exceptional talent we have in New York and underscores our responsibility to continue to identify talent and provide the best pathways possible to as many of those young players so they can achieve their maximum potential within our developmental pipeline.”
McFarlane’s transfer to Manchester City is testament to the defender’s rapid progress during his time in New York. In 2021, at 14 years and 234 days old, McFarlane became the club’s sixth Homegrown signing. At that time, he was the third-youngest player to sign a first-team contract in MLS history. In 2024, the defender made his first team debut making 13 appearances for the ‘Boys in Blue’ across MLS and Leagues Cup games, starting in nine matches, earning him a spot on MLS’s 22 Under 22 list at the end of the season. While playing for MLS NEXT Pro affiliate New York City FC II, McFarlane recorded 33 appearances across all competitions since the team’s inaugural season in 2022.
“I'm incredibly honored to represent New York City FC on a global stage. This club has provided me with amazing opportunities and invaluable lessons that I will carry throughout my career, including my time at Manchester City and beyond,” Defender Christian McFarlane said. “It's been a privilege to grow here and be part of such a special organization. I'm also excited about the next chapter with Manchester City. Visiting their facilities and seeing the players up close is a dream come true, it’s something every young player aspires to achieve. I know this move will be pivotal for my development, and I’m ready to embrace the challenge and make the most of this opportunity."
McFarlane becomes the fourth New York City FC Homegrown to play for a top European division following the footsteps of defender Joe Scally, midfielder James Sands, and forward Andres Jasson who have played in Germany, Scotland and Denmark.
"I want to give all my thanks to David Lee, Sam Pugsley [NYCFC’s Vice President of Sporting Operations] and everyone at the club for always advocating for me. Their support has meant so much, and I truly appreciate everything they’ve done for me and my career,” McFarlane said. “Making a move to Manchester City is a huge step, and I’m grateful to be part of the City Football Group. Having that connection is so important, and it shows young players out there that if you have the right mindset and work hard, opportunities like this are possible. It’s a dream come true, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
McFarlane began his soccer journey at JIGS Soccer Training School in Long Island, New York, before joining New York City FC’s academy. The England-born defender has represented England’s U-16 and U-17 youth national teams and was part of the England squad for the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Transaction: New York City FC sells defender Christian McFarlane to Manchester City. New York City FC will receive a sell-on percentage if McFarlane is sold in the future.
Andrew Leigh
