MLS preseason is in the crisp, January air. Players are reporting for medicals and initial training sessions, clubs are preparing for their warm-weather preseason trips. In some cases, a CONCACAF Champions Cup match awaits in just a few weeks.
No MLS roster is complete at this early stage, but some have more work to do than others. Here are the needs for all 29 clubs as preseason kicks off ahead of MLS’s opening day on Feb. 21.
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Atlanta United
Needs: A No. 6, Thiago Almada succession plan
Atlanta’s biggest remaining need was a starting No. 6, but that’s about to be crossed off with the club finalizing the signing of Poland international Bartosz Slisz from Legia Warsaw for a $3.5 fee, sources tell The Athletic.
The starting XI may be one of the best in the league if new offseason additions (Slisz and center back Stian Gregersen) live up to expectations. Summer signings Tristan Muyumba, Xande Silva and Saba Lobjanidze immediately fit in the group and accentuated existing stars. Slisz should be in that same mold. His ball-winning and ground coverage will free fullbacks Caleb Wiley and Brooks Lennon to get forward more and will alleviate some defensive stress from Muyumba in midfield.
It’s been an excellent offseason for Atlanta, with midfielder Dax McCarty and defender Derrick Williams also brought in for rotation at their respective positions. They have no immediate needs, but will have to be ready if/when an offer too good to refuse comes in for Thiago Almada. He’s been linked with La Liga’s Atlético Madrid this week. Atlanta would be able to add a senior DP in his place if/when he’s sold.
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Austin FC
Needs: High-level attackers, a center back
Austin FC has been linked with River Plate’s Colombian international center forward Miguel Borja, who’d more than likely be a designated player thanks to his transfer fee. Austin is set with Sebastian Driussi playing in a second forward role, but the attack outside of him is in flux.
DP winger Emiliano Rigoni hasn’t made his mark, neither did striker Gyasi Zardes while Diego Fagundez was traded last summer to kickstart the roster overhaul under Rodolfo Borrell.
Austin needs more starting-level players at center back and right back as well.
Charlotte FC
Needs: DP attacker, wingers, elevate Nikola Petkovic
Heading into year three, Charlotte FC have more than a few good pieces on their roster. They just need some tweaks and for the parts to fit better.
Starting in the attack, DP winger Kamil Jozwiak has underperformed and the fit between DP forwards Enzo Copetti and Karol Swiderski wasn’t snug. That will be the top of new manager Dean Smith’s to-do list. It was clear the front office and previous coaching staff didn’t agree on tactical vision, which directly impacted the fit of Swiderski and Copetti.
Jozwiak is likely out. Swiderski may be too. Any DP(s) brought in to replace them must be more complementary. If both leave, targeting an attacking midfielder and winger makes sense; Charlotte already bid around $9.5 for Danish attacking midfielder Albert Grønbæk from Bodø/Glimt.
Last offseason, Charlotte signed rising Serbian central midfielder Nikola Petkovic for around $3 million from FK Cukaricki. He spent all of 2023 with Charlotte’s second team because there wasn’t room under their salary cap to bring him to the first team. Petkovic, 20, had three goals and four assists in 739 minutes in MLS Next Pro. He’s ready for MLS. One way or another, he needs to be brought up this winter. He’s likely to take a U-22 initiative slot, but Charlotte can open one up by bringing in a young DP if/when Jozwiak or Swiderski depart.
Chicago Fire
Needs: Hit high-end signings
The Chicago Fire has needs in several key positions, including at No. 9, central midfield, left wing and right back. More important that position, though, is for the club to not miss on DP signing(s) again.
Chicago already has one DP slot open, and the club is targeting a center forward. They should be able to open up another, pending the departure of Jairo Torres, a Mexican winger who produced zero goals and zero assists in 41 Chicago appearances after a $6 million transfer. It’s time to move on, sunk cost be damned.
The Fire’s track record of DPs over the last four years has not been great. Torres, Gaston Gimenez, Xherdan Shaqiri, Ignacio Aliseda, Ousmane Doumbia, etc. That needs to change with these two DP spots.
In addition to finding a new home for Torres, the club is likely looking to move on from Kacper Przybylko, Arnaud Soquet, Gimenez and more underperforming veterans.
FC Cincinnati
Needs: Central midfielder, wingbacks
FC Cincinnati is reloading its Supporters’ Shield-winning group on the fly. Several key players remain — reigning MLS MVP Lucho Acosta, MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga, DP defensive midfielder Obi Nwobodo — but a few starters are already out and need replacing.
Central midfielder Junior Moreno is still out of contract, as is right wingback Santi Arias. The club is expecting offers for left wingback Alvaro Barreal, and USMNT forward Brandon Vazquez has already officially signed for CF Monterrey.
The good news is two top free agents, Miles Robinson and Corey Baird, are on board. Starting-level players at both wingback spots and either a return for Moreno or a Moreno replacement is still on the to-do list.
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Colorado Rapids
Needs: No. 6
The Rapids have gotten key business done early this winter, anming Chris Armas head coach, signing USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen and free agent Omir Fernandez, and using a DP spot to sign Djordje Mihailovic from AZ. They also re-signed midfielder Cole Bassett to a long-term contract. It’s been a great start to the offseason, with at least three (if not four) new starters already in the team.
What’s left is adding a ball-winner in the midfield to start next to Connor Ronan. Ronan was one of the club’s bright spots last year and is great as a deep-lying playmaker. The team will gel even better if he has a ball-winner next to him. The club is indeed on the market for a defensive midfielder.
Colorado is also finalizing a deal to sign left back Sam Vines from Royal Antwerp, sources say. New left back Miguel Navarro now may head elsewhere for regular minutes ahead of the Copa America this summer, be it on a loan or permanent deal.
Columbus Crew
Needs: Right wingback depth
The reigning MLS Cup champs will return the overwhelming majority of their core for 2024. They acted quick this offseason to add Derrick Jones (who can play central midfield or central defense) and Marino Hinestroza (naturally a winger; we’ll see if he’s in attack or left wingback).
Columbus has elite, top-end talent and also depth across the board except for right wingback. Mo Farsi is the current starter, but UAE club Al-Wasl has real interest in signing him. Either way, the club needs another option behind Farsi with all the games they’ll be playing. If Farsi leaves, two new wingbacks should arrive.
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D.C. United
Needs: Starting center back, central midfield options
In a new era under GM Ally Mackay and head coach Troy Lesense, much of this first transfer window is about resetting the roster and building foundational blocks moving forward.
D.C. has done excellent work on the outgoing side — 13 so far. Incomings is headlined by right back Aaron Herrera. Garrison Tubbs is another exciting talent, signed from Atlanta United.
A key center back is on the wish list. Central midfield is currently light, but that can be addressed during preseason behind starters Mateusz Klich and Russell Canouse.
FC Dallas
Needs: Center back, No. 9
FC Dallas needs a starting center back to partner Nkosi Tafari. They’ve had a bit of a revolving door there over the last few years. Jose Martinez departed this winter, Matt Hedges last winter and Reto Ziegler after 2020.
If the club opens the budget further, a DP No. 9 would be a big boost for Nico Estevez’s side. That would allow Jesus Ferreira to play as a second forward next to a more traditional No. 9. The club has had this DP spot open since last winter, though.
Houston Dynamo
Needs: No. 9, CM
Sebastian Ferreira is back from loan and everybody involved is saying the right things about his future at the club. A departure is still possible, though.
Ferreira leaving would open a DP spot to sign a new No. 9. That can’t really happen if Ferreira doesn’t leave. Corey Baird, last year’s starting center forward, signed with FC Cincinnati in free agency
If Coco Carrasquilla is sold this month, another midfielder will be a priority, even though Sebastian Kowalczyk was signed in the summer with this in mind. They’d still just be too light at the position, even if Kowalczyk is the starter.
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LA Galaxy
Needs: DP attacker
The LA Galaxy is finalizing a deal to sign winger Gabriel Pec on a club-record deal from Vasco da Gama, as reported by The Athletic. They have another DP spot and need to fill it with another attacker to rebuild the group.
The club is pursuing Ghanaian winger Joseph Paintsil from KRC Genk, who would be an excellent addition. He had 17 goals and 14 assists in a career-best 2022-23 season and has interest around Europe in his release clause (a reasonable $8.5 million, or thereabouts).
What Pec and Paintsil have in common is they are goal-dangerous wingers, rather than creative types. That’s what the Galaxy need around Riqui Puig, one of the very best creators and ball progressors in MLS. Diego Fagundez is also a creative-type attacker, who also wants to get on the ball rather than go vertical.
LAFC
Needs: Left back, No. 9, midfield depth
The back-to-back Western Conference champs have quite a few needs as preseason kicks off.
Diego Palacios has officially signed with Corinthians, creating a big need at left back. Midfielder Kellyn Acosta is out of contract, and so is Carlos Vela. That’s three starters. In addition, center forward Mario Gonzalez has been linked with a move to Spain. If he goes, another striker will be necessary. Beyond that, Ilie Sanchez is the only senior defensive midfielder on the roster.
The good news is central midfield could be solved with Fillip Krastev, already at the club on loan through the summer. Mateusz Bogusz and Timothy Tillman are back too; they could potentially be a starting duo ahead of Ilie even if Krastev doesn’t crack the XI.
Plenty of maneuvering is still needed for LAFC, but that’s nothing new. They’ve navigated this high-wire act a few years in a row now.
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Inter Miami
Needs: Bubble wrap for stars, cap space
Inter Miami currently has the best starting XI (in theory) in MLS right now. There are arguments to be made that it can be the best in league history. Such is the benefit of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
The pieces all fit around the four Barcelona legends. Defensive midfielder Gregore, right back DeAndre Yedlin and goalkeeper Drake Callender are plus-starters in this league, and the clu b has hit on all three U-22 initiative signings (Tomas Aviles, Diego Gomez and Facundo Farias). Miami put the cherry on top by signing Julian Gressel, one of the top free agents in the league, who comes in with an elite creative skill (crossing) and who can cover at least three positions.
More than any additional players, what Miami really needs right now is no long-term injuries from their older stars, plus good squad rotation through a preseason tour that rolls straight into the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the season proper.
As a safety net, Miami can generate some more allocation money/cap space with departures. Miami is extremely deep at center mid, so Jean Mota or Franco Negri leaving could make sense – both of which should have value around MLS. Coco Jean and Nico Stefanelli don’t make a ton of sense with the other attackers in the team, so their cap hits could be better spent elsewhere (i.e. another center back).
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Minnesota United
Needs: A permanent head coach
I’m just going to throw this one to my man Jeff Rueter’s excellent column on this situation.
On the field, Minnesota needs a left back more than anything else. Depending on what tactical direction they aim to go under new management will shape what else they need. For now, it’s a bit of a holding pattern, which is far from ideal.
CF Montréal
Needs: Center forward
CF Montréal has quietly added more young talent this offseason, the latest of which center back Joaquin Sosa on loan from Bologna, while midseason additions Fernando Alvarez, Mahala Opoku, and Bryce Duke will get their first full preseason with the club.
Laurent Courtois is in as head coach and he’s here because of his ability to develop young players. That remains this club’s ethos, and they can be competitive this way. Bringing in a starting, no-doubt-about-it center forward would help these young players a bunch, too.
Montréal hasn’t done much of anything by way of investing transfer fees into designated players. It would be very useful to change that trend on a striker. If not, who’s the next player on the intraleague trade market to target?
Nashville SC
Needs: Evolve attack in preseason
Nashville did the bulk of its business early: Their annual trading of multiple international roster slots for valuable allocation money, plus bringing in Tyler Boyd to bring another dimension to the attack.
The playing squad doesn’t have clear holes. Maybe a new contract for Mukhtar to quiet those pesky transfer rumors, but in reality, the squad is more or less set for now unless things look bad in the first couple weeks of the season, then they’ll need to access the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency GAM stack they have.
New England Revolution
Needs: DP forward
New head coach Caleb Porter has said all the right things about believing in forward Giacomo Vrioni, and maybe that rings true, but if the Revs had a dependable DP center forward, they could slide up tiers in the Eastern Conference.
The attack around Carles Gil, Tomas Chancalay and Dylan Borrero will create a ton of chances. Vrioni has had 18 months of runway to prove he’s the guy that should be on the end of them, but he hasn’t. Maybe Porter can change that, but if not, maneuvering to sell Vrioni and sign a new DP forward would be a shrewd move.
Midfielder Noel Buck’s future remains a subplot in this group, as the England youth international has a ton of interest abroad but is still in New England with the January transfer window more than halfway done. He may stay until the summer, or even until the end of the season.
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New York Red Bulls
Needs: DP forward, backup left back
The Red Bulls added a talismanic new attacker in Sweden international Emil Forsberg, an ambitious and win-now signing that’s sure to excite the fan base and rejuvenate the attack. That was their biggest need.
RBNY also added a U-22 initiative center back (Noah Eile), another need. With Luquinhas transferred to Fortaleza, they have another DP spot open.
Will they use it? Maybe. They don’t have any obvious needs now — if they expect improved output from Dante Vanzeir, as I believe they do — but another DP attacker could really spice things up.
Left back depth behind John Tolkin remains dangerously light, as it’s been for a few years. Tolkin has been among the most dependable and consistent players in the group.
NYCFC
Needs: Winger, left back
Rumors continue to swirl about the future of Talles Magno; NYCFC just signed Hannes Wolf (who prefers the left wing) and continue to be linked with other young wingers. If Magno leaves, the club would have an open DP spot.
The more direct, current need is at left back after Braian Cufre’s stay in New York lasted just one season.
Orlando City SC
Needs: Another center back
With Antonio Carlos returning to Brazil this winter, Orlando is in the market to add another center back to challenge Rodrigo Schlegel to be Robin Jansson’s first choice partner.
Outside of that, Orlando’s offseason has been smooth so far. Playmaker Nico Lodeiro should fit very well in the group and a new contract for Facundo Torres stops transfer rumors before they even start, as would a new contract for striker Duncan McGuire.
Orlando has a third DP spot that they could use, but it would have to be a young DP or a restricted DP (under max-TAM).
Philadelphia Union
Needs: No. 9 plan, re-sign Alejandro Bedoya
Now that a deal to bring back left back Kai Wagner is done, Philly still needs to keep club captain Alejandro Bedoya. Sources briefed on negotiations expect that to happen, but it continues to drag on.
Externally, the Union are focused on succession planning at center forward. Julian Carranza’s contract expires next winter, but he could leave before – either now or during the summer. Backup goalkeeper is still a need but that’s less pressing than anything else.
Portland Timbers
Needs: DP attacker
Portland’s offseason work has been quick after naming Phil Neville head coach, the two biggest moves being a pending deal to sign Canadian international goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau and a trade for Canadian international center back Kamal Miller.
Now, they can shift focus to the attack with their open DP spots. Whether it’s a center forward or a goal-dangerous winger, Portland should aim to add a marquee option to Neville’s arsenal.
Real Salt Lake
Needs: DP attacker
Real Salt Lake’s attack is changing, with Chicho Arango getting a full preseason after his club-record summer transfer, Diego Luna continuing to develop and Damir Kreilach moving to Vancouver. There’s still more to come.
What formation does Pablo Mastroeni want to play? If it’s a 4-2-2-2 again, then RSL should target another forward with the DP spot. If it’s more of a 4-2-3-1, then a No. 10 or winger would work (depending where they want Luna to play).
San Jose Earthquakes
Needs: DP winger, left back
With Cade Cowell off to Chivas and Jamiro Monteiro still out of contract, San Jose needs two new starters in attack. They have an open DP spot (behind Carlos Gruezo and Cristian Espinoza) and could use it on either spot.
Benji Kikanovic will get minutes at left wing and could start, but Niko Tsikaris and Cruz Medina are ready for more minutes in attacking midfield. Signing a No. 10 would block their progression. San Jose could always add another box-to-box midfielder if they don’t want to start either teenage No. 10.
Quakes need a starting left back after Miguel Trauco departed too.
Seattle Sounders
Needs: Finalize Pedro de la Vega deal
If no key additions arrive, the Seattle Sounders will still be a solid team. Seattle is returning all 11 starters from their playoff run, with club legend Nico Lodeiro the lone key player out, but he had been replaced in the starting XI by the playoffs.
Seattle has a DP spot open and continues to get closer to signing Argentine youth international winger Pedro de la Vega from Lanus in a deal worth around $6 million, as previously reported by The Athletic. He’s a threat to eliminate players via the dribble, a key quality the team needs more of within this attacking group.
After that? Seattle can reassess in the summer with their most pressing needs, plus sort a long-term successor to Raul Ruidiaz at center forward.
Sporting KC
Needs: DP midfielder
With Gadi Kinda gone, Sporting KC could use that third DP spot on an attack-minded midfielder again. Erik Thommy has been a strong signing but a more traditional chance creator would complement the group well.
SKC’s additions last year of Nemanja Radoja and Dany Rosero were key to their second-half surge and remain key players going into 2024. The roster doesn’t need much, but a bit of an attacking boost and continued good health from Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell.
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Toronto FC
Needs: Decide core to build around under Herdman
Make no mistake about it, Toronto FC is still in rebuilding mode.
All eyes will be on what (if anything) happens with the future of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, but first priority for new head coach John Herdman is deciding who is going to be part of the core moving forward, both in terms of quality and character.
In the micro view? Left back, right back, center back and center forward are all needs.
Vancouver Whitecaps
Needs: Right wingback, extension for Gauld
The convoluted maze of trying to re-sign Richie Laryea amid the salary cap, roster rules and curious interpretation by MLS to list him under the MLS free agency rules (thus capping how much money he can make, despite being under contract at Nottingham Forest) has left Vancouver with a big hole at right wingback. At current time of writing, talks to bring back Laryea are inactive.
Vancouver needs to make that position a priority and bring in a starter. Other than that, the squad is pretty set as is. Star attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld is into the final year of his contract and that’s the other priority: Inking him to a new deal.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
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