Earlier this evening New York City FC announced the loan of forward Thiago to Club Athletico Paranaense in Brazil’s Série A through December 31, 2023. According to the club statement, “the deal includes an option to become permanent which is automatically exercised if certain performance criteria are met.”
The club’s announcement confirms a rumor that Hudson River Blue published on Saturday connecting the 22-year-old Thiago to Athletico Paranaense.
Thiago joined NYCFC in May 2021, and made a strong impression shortly after: On June 27, 2021, the forward scored one of the greatest goals in club history when his stoppage time solo run beat DC United in the 95th minute.
In the 94th minute, Thiago Andrade CALLED GAME for @NYCFC 🔥
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2021
(via @MLS)pic.twitter.com/XS5Zmqn4uo
According to the club statement Thiago featured in 71 matches across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and adding five assists. One of those goals came a little over one week ago, when he scored yet another game-winner against DC United just eight minutes after entering the game as a late substitute.
Thiago was a streaky player. Fast, technical, and physical, the 22-year-old could be maddeningly inefficient in front of goal. More concerning, he was known to be disinterested in defending. That sometimes proved to be a problem in an NYCFC system that demands attackers recover the ball quickly when the team is out of possession.
Thiago is just the latest high-profile player to leave NYCFC in recent months. He joins an exodus that includes forward Héber (traded to Seattle Sounders), defender Alex Callens (joined Girona FC), midfielder Maxi Moralez (left for Racing in Argentina), goalkeeper Sean Johnson (joined Toronto FC), and Cacha Acevedo (loaned to Esporte Clube Bahia), among others.
Transfermarkt currently values Thiago at €5 million, up from €2 million when he joined NYCFC in 2021.
