Julián Fernández is the perfect Gabriel Pereira replacement

On Tuesday, New York City FC announced that the club signed Julián Fernández from Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield. The new signing is the latest from the secondary transfer window, which closes on August 2. He joins Mounsef Bakrar, Birk Risa, and Andrés Perea as the summer additions.

The winger is a like-for-like replacement for Gabriel Pereira, for both are right-wingers. Plus, Fernández was signed under Major League Soccer's U22 initiative. The 19-year-old brings youth and potential to the team but also has shown his talent during his time with Vélez.

He had 20 appearances during this past season in Argentina and played about 634 minutes. During that time, he had three goals. Overall, he has 60 first-team appearances, illuminating his professional experience.

NYCFC makes the perfect move by signing Julián Fernández

As such, NYCFC signed him through 2027 with an option for 2028. His talent and potential make him a great signing, and the perfect Pereira replacement. He is young, but his resume and experience speaks for itself. The Pigeons were smart to get their man, and David Lee revealed he was a top target.

"We’re delighted to welcome Julián to the Club and are excited to integrate him into the team. Julián is a player we have followed for a number of years and was a priority target for us in this transfer window. He is a dynamic attacking player with high potential, who despite being only 19 years old, has already accumulated significant professional experience in domestic and international competition."

- David Lee

While it is obvious Fernández will not recreate Pereira's numbers right away, the rest of the season should allow the Argentine to get accustomed to his new surroundings. The transition should hopefully be alleviated by the fact he has other Argentinian players on the squad: Braian Cufré and Matías Pellegrini.

Still, the potential is there, and it would not be surprising to see him take over as the starting right-winger sooner rather than later. It is an exciting time for New York City FC with the addition of Fernández. He is definitely a player that could blossom into a star in MLS.