New York City FC announced Tuesday the signing of midfielder Yangel Herrera on loan from sister club Manchester City.
A Venezuelan youth international who had moved to Manchester on a permanent transfer from Atletico Venezuela last month, Herrera will spend the entire 2017 campaign with the MLS side.
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“I’m very happy to take this next step in my career," Herrera told NYCFC.com. "To have the opportunity to play with such a high caliber of players is very exciting and to join a team that has a good football philosophy is very important to me.
"I’m looking forward to playing under [NYCFC head coach] Patrick Vieira as he’s someone who played my position and I know I’ll be able to learn a lot from him. I want to absorb all the good things from Patrick and the other players.”
Herrera, 19, completed a full season with Atletico Venezuela before inking a permanent deal with the Premier League giant on Jan. 31. He recently captained his country's under-20 side to third place in the South American championship.
“Although Yangel is just starting out on his career, we believe he will make an impact in Major League Soccer once he’s settled into a new country and has adapted to our system of play," Vieira said. “He’s a tactically intelligent midfielder who is strong in the tackle and reads the game well. Yangel also has good passing range and spatial awareness, which is crucial for a player in his position."