New York City FC is certainly facing some newfound hurdles heading into the 2023 season. Having experienced two consecutive years of making it to the MLS Cup Finals, there are elevated expectations despite losing a number of significant players this off-season. Notably, Maxi Moralez has returned to Argentina, Alex Callens is gone, and Valentin Castellanos has departed.
However, relying on a flurry of youth promotions and replacements seems to be in the cards. The team made one addition this week, landing Richard Ledezma on loan from PSV. The attacking midfielder was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and is just 22 years old. He made three appearances in the Europa League this past season, seeing his market value steadily increase to $850K. Clearly, he needs regular playing time, and NYC FC is willing to give him an opportunity to compete for starting minutes.
NYC FC needs Richard Ledezma to step up:
While PSV will maintain his transfer rights, Ledezma is an exciting young talent that should provide European experience to a rather young and fresh NYC FC club looking to rely on inexperienced players to carry the load.
The club currently features Talles Magno and Gabriel Pereira to help handle the majority of the burden left by the departure of Moralez and Castellanos. The upcoming season could certainly feature more challenges without some of the team’s prominent players.
However, adding a talent like Ledezma certainly promotes excitement for the future, especially since he’s a US International that could end up fighting his way onto the men’s team in the future. Expect the 22-year-old to provide plenty of adequate service up top as a midfielder with impressive passing capabilities from an attacking position.