The Portland Timbers swung big on Monday, announcing theyâve signed Brazilian No. 10 Evander as a Designated Player. To complete the deal, MLSsoccer.comâs Tom Bogert reports they sent a $10 million transfer fee to Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland.
Thus, the offseason DP shopping began in earnest.
That move got us thinking: Which other clubs may be busy this winter when it comes to adding DPs? Who has the flexibility to add a game-changer and club centerpiece?
Before getting into specifics, letâs note Charlotte FC are reportedly adding Racing Club forward Enzo Copetti as a DP. Others like the New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union and San Jose Earthquakes also have room to maneuver.
Here are 10 clubs to track.
Current DPs
- Javier âChicharitoâ Hernandez, F
- Douglas Costa, F
LA have an open DP spot to work with after trading forward KĂ©vin Cabral to the Colorado Rapids. Cabral was a Young DP in LA, so theyâd likely go that route again when factoring in their U22 Initiative roster math.
It turns heads any time the Galaxy â one of MLSâs most-recognizable global brands â have a roster spot like this to work with. Thatâs even if theyâre facing some roster sanctions stemming back to the 2019 season.
If LA go for another final-third option, said player would join Chicharito (35 goals during the past two seasons) and Douglas Costa (ex-Brazil international coming off a so-so first MLS campaign). The midfield trio of Riqui Puig, GastĂłn Brugman and Mark Delgado seems locked in.
Current DPs
- Federico Bernardeschi, F
- Lorenzo Insigne, F
Toronto FC president Bill Manning addressed their DP situation in mid-October, after the 2017 MLS Cup champions missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Even though positions werenât identified, some clarity was provided.
âWeâre not going to go out and sign a Lorenzo, but weâre going to sign the right player,â Manning said. âWhatever wiggle room we need to make there, our organization has always been supportive of getting the right player.â
Manning, of course, was referring to last year when Toronto brought in Federico Bernardeschi (ex-Juventus) and Lorenzo Insigne (ex-Napoli), two Euro 2020 winners with Italy and former Serie A stars. They are the Redsâ long-term centerpieces as head coach and sporting director Bob Bradley remolds the squad.
Will Toronto use this DP spot on their leaky defense? They tried that with since-departed Mexican center back Carlos Salcedo, who stuck around for less than six months. Or will they get a striker or No. 10-type to go with their Italian wingers? Weâll see⊠their ownership group has shown a willingness to spend.
Current DPs
- Rodolfo Pizarro, M
- Leonardo Campana, F*
Letâs not bury the lede: Inter Miami are reportedly a genuine candidate in the Lionel Messi sweepstakes, should the seven-time Ballon dâOr winner indeed leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Heâs eligible to sign a pre-contract in the winter, and still has plenty left in the tank â as weâre seeing with Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and before he turns 36 in June. Miami would reportedly make him the highest-paid player in MLS history.
Beyond Messi, things are a bit cloudier DP-wise as mid-December rolls around. Letâs go bullet-point style:
- Rodolfo Pizarro has been a DP, though the Mexican international midfielder spent last season on loan at Liga MXâs Monterrey. His future may lie elsewhere.
- Alejandro Pozuelo is out of contract after 2022. The Spanish playmaker was fantastic after a midseason trade from Toronto, and itâs unclear if heâll return.
- Legendary striker Gonzalo HiguaĂn has retired. Thatâs certainly one spot open.
- Per MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert, Leonardo Campana will be a Young DP after Miami picked up his option from English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Ecuadorian international No. 9 was on a U22 Initiative tag in 2022, tallying 11g/2a in 26 games.
The super-short version: Weâre in wait-and-see mode with Miamiâs DPs. Messi would be a no-brainer, to state the obvious, and key decisions await sporting director Chris Henderson after Miamiâs strong 2022.
Current DPs
- Xherdan Shaqiri, M
- Jairo Torres, F
Thereâs no need to speculate or theorize. Chicago head coach Ezra Hendrickson was direct in mid-October when discussing what type of player the Fire are seeking to fill their open DP spot: A highly-productive No. 9.
â[We want] someone that's a proven goalscorer because we think that to get to where we want to get, and that's back into the playoffs, we need someone that's a 12-plus, maybe even 15-plus goalscorer,â Hendrickson said.
Chicagoâs ownership group has shown a willingness to spend, and there are no limitations DP-wise since Jairo Torres is a Young DP. The Mexican winger was injury-plagued upon joining in 2022 from Liga MXâs Atlas, but thereâs promise there.
Fans will dream big, looking for a striker to get on the end of Xherdan Shaqiriâs service. The Swiss attacker and club-record signing was Chicagoâs leading scorer (7g/11a) during his debut campaign, plus just helped Switzerland reach the Round of 16 at the World Cup.
Current DPs
- Josef MartĂnez, F
- Luiz AraĂșjo, F
- Thiago Almada, M
Thereâs a big asterisk here, and it surrounds Josef MartĂnez. Itâs not 100% clear if the clubâs all-time leading scorer is back for 2023, with The Athletic's Felipe Cardenas reporting the Venezeualan striker and Atlanta will part ways this offseason.
Since MartĂnez has one year remaining on his contract, heâd need either to be 1) traded to an MLS team 2) transferred outside of MLS or 3) bought out. An open-ended question, too, as new CEO/president Garth Lagerwey gets settled: Has that hire changed the Josef/ATLUTD situation at all?
To be clear: Atlanta donât currently have an open DP spot. But with questions around MartĂnez, as well as transfer interest in Thiago Almada (at the World Cup with Argentina), the dynamic could change quickly for one of MLSâs highest-spending clubs.
Current DPs
- Carlos Vela, F
- DĂ©nis Bouanga, F
The Black & Goldâs DP situation also carries an asterisk. Vela and Bouanga were DPs last season, as LAFC became the leagueâs eighth club to complete an MLS Cup/Supportersâ Shield double. Beyond those forwards, a couple of questions need to be answered.
If ex-Barcelona attacker Cristian Tello returns, will he require a DP spot? Does superstar forward Gareth Bale indeed progress onto a DP slot if he stays beyond summer 2023 (contract options)? How much more does Bale, now 33 and with an injury history, have in the tank? The Bale questions are probably the big ones (Walesâ captain insisted after their World Cup exit that heâs not retiring just yet).
On the DP front, LAFCâs situation is among the most compelling league-wide. Watch this one carefully.
Current DPs
- None
For MontrĂ©al, itâs a clean DP slate with midfielder/captain Victor Wanyama unlikely to return. Will ownership open the checkbook or will they focus on other roster-building mechanisms (i.e. academy, trades, etc)?
Montréal have brought in some high-profile/high-impact DPs before. They used to have forwards Didier Drogba and Marco Di Vaio, while midfielder Ignacio Piatti was immense for the Canadian club.
But historically, MontrĂ©al havenât filled all three DP slots. Weâll see if, facing roster turnover and searching for a new coach, that approach changes. They were the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed in 2022, MontrĂ©al's best-ever MLS season.
Current DPs
- Facundo Torres, F
- Ercan Kara, F
After bringing back Mauricio Pereyra on a non-DP deal, Orlando have some flexibility with their final spot. Itâs a shrewd move by the Lionsâ front office in retaining their playmaker/captain.
For a third DP, Orlando may seek someone to complement Kara (Austrian No. 9) and Torres (Uruguay winger) in the final third. Both players arrived ahead of the 2022 season, and they combined for 20g/13a in league play as the club booked a third straight playoff trip.
Donât be surprised if Orlandoâs ownership group, entering its second full season, opens the checkbook. The club has a high-profile DP legacy too, with superstars Nani and Kaka both previously brought to play in central Florida.
Current DPs
- Jefferson Savarino, F
- Damir Kreilach, M/F
RSL, coming off a second playoff run under head coach Pablo Mastroeni, have some DP flexibility. Itâs also the Claret-and-Cobaltâs first full offseason with their new ownership group, and they may splurge after making serious strides on the infrastructure/in-stadium experience front in 2022. Letâs see what shoes drop.
The simple version: RSL could sign one or two DP-level players, with Damir Kreilach able to be bought down with Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). There are also talks to bring back striker Sergio CĂłrdova, who was TAM-able a season ago, while Savarino is a full DP.
As for positions? A DP winger to play opposite Savarino or a No. 9 are the most likely targets. The Venezuelan international had 7g/6a in a half-season, arriving from Brazilâs Atletico Mineiro, and could easily hit 25 combined G+A next year. RSL were linked with a DP defensive midfielder last year, but the emergence of U22 Initiative loanee Braian Ojeda (from Nottingham Forest) may have changed the calculus there.
Current DPs
- Andres Cubas, M
- Ryan Gauld, M
The Whitecaps have an open DP spot after they declined the 2023 contract option on striker Lucas Cavallini. The Canadian international No. 9 was coming off his best MLS season since becoming Vancouverâs club-record signing in 2020, but they went in another direction.
Now, defensive midfielder Cubas and playmaker Ryan Gauld present a really strong foundation up the spine. The former is a Paraguayan international and joined midseason after playing in Franceâs top two divisions, while Gauld is dubbed the âScottish Messiâ as an all-action No. 10. Gauld has 12g/15a in 46 MLS games.
To supplement those midfield string-pullers, Vancouver may go for another lead-the-line No. 9. Theyâve shown confidence in Brian White, though more scoring punch wouldnât hurt.
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