by DAVE MARTINEZ

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Leo Fernandes has been such a productive and natural fit for the New York Cosmos that one could easily forget he is a loanee.

The Philadelphia Union own the rights of the former Stony Brook All-American, but the Cosmos are keen on changing that this offseason.

Following practice Wednesday afternoon, head coach and sporting director Giovanni Savarese said the Cosmos would approach the Union this winter over a permanent move for the Long Island midfielder.

“He has been very content to be part of the New York Cosmos,” Savarese told reporters. “I think he feels comfortable being here. We just have to see how things will work.”

Comfort has been apparent for Fernandes since his arrival in New York. The Brazilian born, Babylon raised player is tied with Raul for the team lead in goals (8) and is second in assists (3). Those stats are a stark improvement over his numbers with the Philadelphia Union where Fernandes struggled to find his footing.

With New York, his transition was eased by a familiarity with Savarese, who coached Fernandes as a youth player and tried to acquire him prior to the MLS draft in 2013. Now both parties will work to keep that relationship intact — at least for one more season.

“I had no doubt that he was going to be this productive. Actually, before he was drafted in MLS, I tried to bring him in. I knew his quality. I had him as a young player before, I coached him,” Savarese noted. “Once we were able to bring him in, thanks to the hard work of Alecko (Eskandarian), it was very important for us to have him. He has done a tremendous job, and has a lot of quality.

“He grew even more so as a player so we will see what the future will lay for him.”