Union loan midfielder Andrés Perea to MLS conference rival NYCFC

The Union have agreed to loan midfielder Andrés Perea to Eastern Conference rival New York City FC through the end of the 2023 season in exchange for $300,000 in 2024 general allocation money, the team announced Friday.

There is no option for New York City to buy Perea at the end of the loan, which enables the 22-year-old to return to the Union by next season.

The Union acquired Perea in a trade with Orlando City SC after the 2022 season, but he has struggled to find playing time in the club’s crowded midfield, even with recent injuries to captain Alejandro Bedoya and Leon Flach. This season, Perea has three goals in 330 minutes across 11 appearances and seemed to fall behind the emerging Jesús Bueno on the depth chart.

The loan enables Perea, a dual Colombian and American citizen with one senior U.S. national team cap, to receive game experience before the 2024 season. He is under contract with the Union through the 2025 season, with a club option for 2026.

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”I am looking forward to joining New York City,” Perea said in a press release. “It’s a club with a history of developing players that emphasizes attacking possession-based soccer which suits my style of play. I look forward to meeting my new teammates and everyone at the club and hope to contribute to the team’s success this season.”

This is the second time this month that the Union has loaned a player to an MLS opponent. On July 5, the team sent 19-year-old centerback Brandan Craig to Austin FC for the rest of the 2023 season.