Julián Fernández arrived at New York City FC with high expectations in 2023 but enters his second full MLS season in 2025 still with a lot to prove.
The 21-year-old winger from Buenos Aires, Argentina is up to 36 appearances across all competitions for New York City since joining the club on August 1, 2023, but those appearances have been sporadic and brief, with Fernández to date averaging just 32 minutes of game time per appearance.
He's only got four goals and two assists so far in his time playing in MLS after coming to America from Vélez Sarsfield for a reported $5 million transfer fee. He was heralded as the replacement on the right for Gabriel Pereira when NYCFC signed him, but we've yet to see Fernández unlock his full potential while in New York City.
Fernández should benefit from a fresh start in 2025 under new coach Pascal Jansen, who was hired at least in part to try to get the best out of NYCFC's collection of promising young players, Fernández included. Can Fernández and his lethal left foot claim a bigger share of minutes in 2025, despite the return of most of the players he competed for playing time with during 2024?
