It may be too early to dub Nicolás Fernández Mercau the King of Queens — New York City FC’s permanent home borough beginning next season — but the 26-year-old Argentine has shown why the club’s faith in him was warranted when it signed him as a designated player last summer.
Two weeks ago, when one of the world’s greatest soccer players made an appearance in the Big Apple, it was Fernández Mercau who nearly stole the show with his play. And his five goals through the first five games of the season, which included a brace against Colorado, have made him the first player in club history to achieve the feat.
Entering Saturday’s 1-1 draw against St. Louis City SC at Citi Field, Fernández Mercau was tied for third in the MLS Golden Boot race.
What’s made the start to the season all the more impressive has been the fact that he’s done so playing a position he doesn’t traditionally play. Fernández Mercau has served as NYCFC’s striker — or as head coach Pascal Jansen jokingly calls it, the “9 ½” — while Alonso Martínez has been sidelined, even though the Argentine is traditionally a midfielder.
“It’s obviously a new position that I’m playing, but I feel really comfortable in it,” Fernández Mercau told The Post through a translator. “It’s nothing that I’m doing different. It’s still putting in the same hard work that I’ve always done, but I guess feeling comfortable has definitely helped out. But it’s nothing [different in training].”
New York City FC knew they were getting an impact player when Fernández Mercau became the club’s splashy signing during the summer transfer window in 2025. His creativity allowed NYCFC’s offense to generate chances, score timely goals during the 2025 playoff run, and his two-way ability, making tackles and blocking shots, only added to his value.
Since the start of this season, he’s only given NYCFC more confidence in their decision to bring him over from La Liga side Elche CF.
“To see him find his place in everything we’re trying to achieve here is something that we could only dream of,” Jansen said. “This is something I sensed once I had the first conversation with him back in [2025] and he was still in Argentina, enjoying his break after a very intense season at Elche.
“So far, he hasn’t disappointed anybody here at the club. Once he joined this project, this is what we expected and we’re hoping for more.”
Fernández Mercau’s quick success in MLS has also meant the potential for interest from other clubs outside the league. During the international break, a rumor circulated that Portuguese clubs Sporting CP and SL Benfica were interested in Fernández Mercau for a potential summer transfer window move.
Jansen said that he was “not aware if there’s any interest” in Fernández Mercau, though Jansen didn’t sound surprised that there would be, considering Fernández Mercau’s hot start.
“If you play well, you do well, that’s part of our world in football. You will always get interest from anywhere in the world,” Jansen said. “When there’s interest, there’s interest. And once people report at the door, then we’ll deal with it once it’s there.”
Fernández Mercau told Spanish-language radio broadcaster Roberto Abramowitz that his focus was on the pitch.
“It’s soccer and there’s always a bunch of rumors. I need to focus on what I need to do,” he said.
The 26-year-old told The Post that he’s enjoyed his time in New York City since joining NYCFC last summer.
“Everybody spoke highly of the city and being able to experience it myself, I feel the same, “ he said. “Been really happy, getting to know the city, being part of the city.
“Living in New York and that’s kind of helped me be comfortable, and [contributed] to the start of the season as well.”
