Christian Benteke would be a great provisional signing for NYCFC

Ever since Alonso Martínez was given the chance to be the starting striker in 2024, he has been an important and fantastic player for New York City FC. He had 16 regular-season goals in 2024 and 17 in 2025, leading the Boys in Blue in scoring. So, losing the Costa Rican to an ACL injury is not ideal, and it stinks for him as well.

Nevertheless, this means that NYCFC needs a striker. The club cannot wait to see whether someone else can step into Martínez's shoes. Plus, the only other striker is Seymour Reid, who needs more professional experience and should continue to be eased into Major League Soccer. Hence, the club needs a more established player.

It is hoped that Martínez will recover as quickly as possible and ideally be back to his scoring self by 2027. But in the meantime, the team can afford to sign someone, whether they will eventually compete with their star forward or for the short term. One player that they could look into is Christian Benteke.

NYCFC should look into Christian Benteke

The striker recently had his contract declined by D.C. United, and he announced that he was leaving after four seasons with the team. He had 47 regular-season goals with the Washington D.C. side and was clearly one of the better forwards in the league. However, he could not save his team, who failed to make the playoffs during his tenure.

He might have scored fewer goals this season compared to 2024 and 2023, scoring just nine times, but he was on the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, it is believed that Benteke would still find the back of the net if he had a more reliable head coach and better team around him.

Since NYCFC already has a solid foundation after Pascal Jansen's first season as head coach, the striker would be a great option to sign on a provisional basis. In other words, the Pigeons could sign him for a year or two, allowing time for Martínez to heal and give Reid time to develop. It would also give the team time to scout for another younger striker that could compete with Martínez and Reid in a few years if they desired to do so.

The problem at hand, though, is that NYCFC will probably not want to sign Benteke. In 2025, he made close to $5 million, and it is not likely that the Boys in Blue would be willing to spend even half of that amount, even if some players are sold. However, Benteke is a talent that would be worth the price.

There is also the possibility that he might want to return to Europe and finish out his career there. The appeal of returning home to Belgium, where the striker was last there in 2012 with Koninklijke Racing Club Genk, would make sense.

Nevertheless, it would be smart for NYCFC to show interest in Benteke and think about trying to sign him. After all, he did win the Golden Boot in 2024. His veteran experience would also be great for the younger players on the team. Yes, his signing with the club likely will not happen, but that does not mean that one cannot believe that he would be great in the Big Apple.