Justin Haak could not be hitting the open market at a more perfect time after a standout 2025 campaign that has helped NYCFC reach the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The 24-year-old central defender, who will become a free agent when NYCFC’s season concludes, has garnered remarkable interest from other teams in Major League Soccer, as well as from England and Germany, a source told amNewYork on Thursday.
In total, 16 other MLS teams have inquired about Haak’s services, although a return to NYCFC remains a possibility, given his strong relationship with first-year head coach Pascal Jansen.
Six teams from the English Football League Championship, the country’s second-tier soccer league, have also shown significant interest. That includes first-place Coventry City and second-place Middlesbrough. The top two teams at season’s end are automatically promoted to the lucrative Premier League.
Coventry City’s manager, Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, has obvious links to NYCFC, having finished his storied playing career in 2016.
Interest is also rising from the German Bundesliga, as two mid-table teams have also checked in.
It leaves NYCFC facing the reality of letting one of its finest homegrown talents, who is a Brooklyn native, walk in free agency for nothing, which is a difficult line for any MLS franchise to toe. The New York Red Bulls faced a similar situation just before the start of the regular season with up-and-coming American defender John Tolkin, who was under contract until 2027. He was sold to then-Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel for $3 million.
Regardless of the financial repercussions, Haak has also developed into one of the top defenders in the league with the versatility to play central midfield as well — another reason he has become such a hot commodity around the globe.
Haak appeared in 35 matches this season, recording one goal. He was one of just 10 players in MLS this season to record over 3,000 minutes and ranked 16th with 1,747 passes completed, which should put him in the conversation for the MLS Best XI.
NYCFC takes on the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference semifinal on Sunday night (7:45 p.m. ET) from Chester, PA.
