A Roo in Blue

New defensive midfielder Aiden O'Neill should make an immediate impact at New York City, but will it be enough?

After a quiet winter transfer window, New York City Football Club made a splash on the final day by signing 26-year-old Australian international Aiden O’Neill from Belgian first-division club Standard Liège. While he may not be the game-changing attacking Designated Player many fans hoped for, O’Neill boasts an impressive resume and appears ready to contribute the moment he’s registered.

The Road to New York City

O’Neill began his professional career at the Burnley academy after being scouted during a trip to Manchester at 14. He progressed through the ranks and made his first-team debut in 2016 against Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Over the next two years, he enjoyed successful loan spells to League One sides. After those two years without a Premier League breakthrough, he returned to Australia. He first went on loan to Central Coast Mariners, then to Brisbane Roar, before moving permanently to City Football Group’s own Melbourne City FC.

After three successful seasons in the A-League, he returned to Europe, signing for Standard Liège. There, he proved himself a stalwart player and eventually became club captain. He debuted for the Australian national team in 2023 and has become a valuable part of their midfield.¹

While O’Neill’s trajectory has been positive since his return to Australia, Standard Liège’s trajectory has been anything but. In 2022, Standard Liège was a soccer darling owned by the forward-thinking 777 Partners. The US-based investment firm started by acquiring beleaguered clubs reeling from COVID-19 losses, aiming to build a multi-club empire through smart recruitment and analytic wisdom. The Outfield readers may recall their first significant signing at Standard was New York City FC manager Ronny Deila.

Unfortunately for Standard supporters, their success was built on a foundation of deceit and fraud. 777 Partners’ unethical—and in some cases illegal—business practices led to the complete collapse of the firm. Our friends at Hudson River Blue, who wrote an excellent piece providing additional context regarding the O’Neill situation, well documented the messy situation.

O’Neill represented one of the few assets remaining for a struggling team rumored to be over $70 million in the red. This isn’t NYCFC’s first foray into buying cheap from a desperate team; the initial deal for Talles Magno was a similar move, securing the rights to a player from a cash-strapped club when they were the only shoppers. Although that move didn’t yield the desired results, it showed the team was actively seeking favorable opportunities to make advantageous deals.

Players with Aiden O’Neill’s resume will not come cheap on the transfer market, especially since his contract was extended in September and ran through 2028. Early in a deal, players are the most expensive. Avoiding a DP tag for a prime-age player with such an impressive resume is a huge success for the front office.

What Kind of Player Did NYCFC Get?

When Sands departed the team to join St. Pauli, there was no straightforward replacement on the roster. Since the beginning of the season, Keaton Parks has primarily operated as the deepest midfielder and has performed better than expected in this role. While Parks has shown strong performances, his strengths do not lie in individual defending or positional discipline; the team should have a dedicated player in that position.

The standout aspect of O’Neill’s player profile is his defensive ability. He is a tremendous duel winner, both on the ground and in the air. That’s something New York City lacked at the beginning of this season, and O’Neill provides an instant upgrade.

O’Neill is also familiar with the preferred CFG approach of high-pressing opponents. While this trait was even more important during his time at Melbourne City, O’Neill’s knack for counter-pressing and winning the ball high up the field continued to serve him well after his move to Standard Liège. He’s a tireless, ground-covering workhorse who can make plays all over the pitch.

But O’Neill isn’t just a defensive engine. He also brings real quality on the ball, with the skill set to impact the game offensively and add another layer to the attack. While his role at Standard was more limited, he was allowed to get more involved in the attack and handle the ball a great deal during his time at Melbourne.

A holding midfielder with O’Neil’s skillset will be useful to NYCFC manager Pascal Jansen, who relied on Jordy Clasie to manage much of AZ Alkmaar’s possession load. Although Parks has increased his overall possession share, especially in the defensive third, it hasn’t been the most natural fit and could be contributing to NYCFC’s struggle to remain in the attacking third.

Based on his record with Melbourne City, O’Neill will be able to manage in the neighborhood of 55 passes per game as a defensive midfielder. He frequently finds the opportunity to enter the attack in an aggressive possession system. He takes a good number of shots for a DM and scores bangers from distance—something NYCFC’s midfielders have been missing. It might not be the most efficient approach on paper, but it’s a weapon worth having when the moment calls for it.

O’Neill also brings authentic leadership and grit alongside his consistent production. He’s climbed his way up through the levels of global soccer without losing momentum, handling setbacks, and always finding a way to land in a better spot. At every club, he’s quickly settled in and produced. He captained the Standard side and, with the Australian NT, is frequently called on to speak to the media.

Midfield Help, But Bigger Problems Remain

Although NYCFC has been skewing towards youth with their signings, that approach carries significant risk. O’Neill, a finished product with a proven record of character and success, presents much less risk. His signing should be regarded as close to a sure thing, as you might see in an MLS acquisition.

The signing has several implications for what has been a shallow midfield. At the price NYCFC is paying, along with the salary he is likely to command, the plan is for O’Neil to be a regular starter. Parks, Andres Perea, and Jonathan Shore are all apt partners in the double pivot for O’Neill’s defensive focus.

Parks is the first choice as the more offense-minded holding midfielder; he’s been a mainstay of the team and has returned to MLS-leading form. However, Parks’ fitness may be a concern; he has missed multiple training sessions and half of the New England game, dealing with persistent issues with his foot. Perea is only now getting back into the mix after missing the early part of the season with hernia surgery, and Shore, still young and inconsistent, isn’t ready for a full-time starting job.

Adding O’Neill allows the team to rotate without leaning too hard on anyone. It also lets Justin Haak settle in as a more reliable center-back without jumping into defensive midfield whenever needed.

While all indicators are that this is an excellent signing at a phenomenal price, it’s important to note that the team’s most pressing issues were not in the midfield. The defense has been, at times, shambolic, and the attack is producing very little. It’s natural for fans to feel frustrated after one of the most limited transfer windows in team history, and this signing does little to change that sentiment.

The hope is that O’Neill’s presence will allow Jansen to explore more and find ways to squeeze points out of the remaining games before the summer window. With open DP and U22 spots and a league-leading GAM total, NYCFC should make big swings at significant pieces in the next window to alter the course of the season. Questions about City Football Group’s commitment to winning in MLS will arise if that doesn’t happen. ❧

Image: Howard Arkley, Cityscape

1. Interestingly, he played alongside Jackson Irvine in his last start for Australia. This name may be familiar to readers as Irvine was James Sands’ midfield partner at St. Pauli before Sands’ injury.