James Sands' return to NYCFC is the wrong move for him and the team

By now, every New York City FC fan must know that James Sands is back! The beloved Homegrown player has officially returned to the club after his loan with FC St. Pauli ended. He also signed a contract extension with the Bronx side and clearly stated his current intent to play for the Boys in Blue.

As such, it looks like Sands is set to stay stateside, at least in the meantime. While it appears the plan is for him to stay for the long term, going back to Europe could be an option, especially if he does well in Major League Soccer. But truth be told, this is not the right move for the midfielder or NYCFC.

James Sands' return to NYCFC is not the best move

Now, there are reasons why this was a good move. But there are also aspects to the decision that make the decision for the club and Sands the wrong one.

The easiest reason is that the player can play in Europe. He might have suffered two season-ending injuries in Germany, but when he was healthy, he played very well. There was a reason that he started the majority of matches he was available for. Plus, the injuries were just plain old bad luck. That was why it was thought that NYCFC would sell him to a team in Europe.

Economically, a permanent move made a lot of sense. Sands is valued on Transfermarkt at about $5 million, which is his highest value to date. Getting anywhere from $4 to $6 million would have been a win for the Boys in Blue. By not selling him now, the front office is taking a risk, for there is no guarantee the value will go up. They could get something from the 25-year-old in a few years, but even then, he is wasting his prime years when he should be in Europe.

Yes, NYCFC needs help, especially defensively. But they have a higher need for players who are natural center-backs or full-backs. That money could have gone to helping the backline. That is not to say bringing in, or in this case, bringing back, a versatile defensive midfielder will not help. It will. But the backline needs more help.

There is also another big issue, and that is that the defensive midfield is crowded. Aiden O'Neill, Keaton Parks, Andrés Perea, Jonathan Shore, and Kai Trewin can all play in that position. Perhaps Pascal Jansen is thinking about putting Trewin as the center-back, and moving Raul Gustavo to left-back while Kevin O'Toole recovers. But even then, the Pigeons might freeze out someone who should be playing.

When all is said and done, it is easy to be grateful that Sands is back with NYCFC. But the move is not perfect, and it might come back to haunt the Pigeons down the road.

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