Manchester City are at it again. Word on the street is that they are keeping an eye on the young American and are trying to sign him, even though he has yet to play a single game in MLS.
Left-back Christian McFarlane signed for NYCFC in 2021 at the age of 14 and has since evolved his game through the academy and second team. Now 17 years old, he appears ready for Major League Soccer, but his time in America's top flight could likely be short and sweet.
MacFarlane was actually born in Basildon (Essex, southeast England), but moved to America when he was three years old. Noting that he was far ahead of other players in his football development, NYCFC picked him up at their soccer academy on Long Island, his home base in the United States.
In an interview with the club's website, MacFarlane's mother said that before moving on to the left-back position, academy staff will be playing MacFarlane in every position on the pitch other than goalkeeper to determine which position he is best suited to play. He revealed that he let him play. It seems to have worked, and it looks natural. Perfect frame and ideal characteristics for a modern left-back.
See for yourself (please mute, the music is terrible):
MacFarlane is fast-paced and strong, but has the agility and balance to get out of tight spots and defeat opponents. He is equally happy to overlap on the outside or drive into spaces in the middle of the pitch. He is strong in the air, which is unusual for a full-back as he is very comfortable moving forward, but with his long legs he seems like a great one-on-one defender who can win the ball away when you least expect it.
He's more Walker than Trippier. Aaron Wan-Bissaka's defensive solidity was combined with Nuno Mendes' touch in attack. In theory it's perfect. Although he is still a youngster and has yet to feature in a first-team game, it is easy to see why City, Bayern and Dortmund are keeping an eye on the teenager.
Interestingly, MacFarlane has so far split his international career between the UK and the US. Back in 2022, he made six appearances for England Under-16s, and the following year he played three games for United States Under-16s. In the same year (2023), Macfarlane played nine games for England Under-17s and scored his first international goal.
Christian is also eligible to play for Jamaica if he chooses Jamaica and they choose him. That means if McFarlane fulfills his potential, an international triple threat match could begin. I would love to see each representative step into the ring one by one and bang for this teenager's loyalty. That said, Michail Antonio plays for the Jamaican national team and he's stacked as hell, so that might be a foregone conclusion.
By the way, if you're wondering how American robots pronounce this word, “Basildon” Look no further.
@newyorkcityfc Christian McFarlane's journey to pro football ⚽️💙 #nycfc #mls #future #boys #soccer #mlsnext #nyc ♬ Original song – nycfc
Bah-ZEEL-den. God, the internet is dark.
Where were you? That's right, Michail Antonio is clearly hard as a rock. So perhaps MacFarlane will eventually represent the Reggae Boyz. who knows? However, in her Instagram profile picture, she is literally wearing the England flag…
England could also be a smart choice for the youngster, as the Three Lions are currently short on left-backs. Ben Chilwell is injury-prone, as is Luke Shaw. Tyrick Mitchell has not played for England since 2022, despite his impressive spell with Crystal Palace. Joe Gomez would rather play in the center.
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He is also waiting to make his way to the top team at club level. NYCFC currently only has one senior left back above Christian in Kevin O'Toole. If O'Toole gets injured or doesn't feel well, McFarlane would be the logical replacement, so the star boy's chance could come sooner rather than later.
If he were to go to Manchester City, which seems very likely, especially given their affiliation with NYCFC, left-back is a position they lack depth. Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake are both natural centre-backs (although Pep is currently in the team) Four centre-backs Tony Pulis is life Phase), Sergio Gomez is finding it difficult to get playing time.
McFarlane has a chance, but he needs to break into NYCFC's top team before he does anything. Even if he were to sign for City today, he would not be allowed to join the team until his 18th birthday anyway. According to a reporter from The Athletic, he is already in the process of signing a contract.
Christian's future is bright and it seems only a matter of time before he follows in the footsteps of former NYCFC full-back Joe Scully and makes his way to Europe.
We're now calling it the Euro 2028 England squad, Mack's return.
Farlane.
From the United States.
He was born in Basild, so… forget it.
Written by Andrew Martin