Who could FC Dallas move in this summer transfer window?

While the options may be limited, FC Dallas does have some possibility of making moves in the roster to bring in reinforcements. How could FC Dallas make space for new players?

The injury crisis and a brutal schedule meant that FC Dallas had few options to turn to for a late push after Sporting Kansas City found a go-ahead goal on Wednesday night/Thursday morning. Jesus Ferreira is out. Liam Fraser has not been well. Patrickson Delgado has missed recent games. Geovane Jesus and Alan Velasco are rehabbing, but it could be at best til August or September before they might be ready even off the bench. The injury list has simply been up and down for Dallas, messing with their ability to get into rhythm.

On top of that, they have an interim head coach, giving an opening for the team to shed some contracts and create potential space for future signings.

Of course, do you do that now, or do you wait to have a permanent coach in place who might want to look for some specific kinds of players to fill out the roster and tactical priorities?

FC Dallas may have a quiet summer transfer window, but I argue, if they want to at least make a push to climb into a playoff spot, they need to make some changes.¹

Let’s start with who is not moving.

Obviously, Petar Musa is on fire since joining over the winter, but it would be highly unlikely for a move to be made. Sure, I could see someone in Europe scouting him as an upgrade, but would they be able to pay the huge premium after FC Dallas spent a record amount to bring him in? No.

Patrickson Delgado, in a short amount of time, has displayed a ton of quality for a young player. FC Dallas is going to have to exercise that buy option, barring a major injury or some bizarre setback. I don’t think he is on the block.

In my early draft of this article, I had Maarten Paes as someone who the team hopes to build around. By all accounts, the standout goalkeeper, named to his first MLS All-Star team, was due for a long-term contract extension to make Dallas his home, but the news (above) of interest from Empoli may have changed that tune. We’ll simply have to wait and see.

There are enough young players too who are showing some promise that it is unlikely they get transferred out, including Nolan Norris and Bernard Kamungo to top that list. Their contracts are cap-friendly, and their value should only increase as they are given more time. Good MLS teams love to have quality guys like that to build around, even if they extend the depth of the squad.

Sebastian Lletget is playing out of his mind right now, so a few months ago I might have targeted him as someone to trade. Now? Keep him. He’s one of our best players at the moment.

I’d also suggest that Asier Illaramendi doesn’t move, partly because I imagine this is his final year of professional soccer. If he loves Dallas, I bet he follows the Luccin route, maybe re-signing for an additional year on the roster with a role in the academy to come. But who knows?

Marco Farfan and Liam Fraser are both solid MLS guys with reasonable contracts that a lot of teams would kill for, so why look to trade them unless the offer is phenomenal?

Nkosi Tafari is FC Dallas’ most up-and-down player right now. He can be All-Star worthy in one game and then make brutal mistakes in the next. I don’t know what to make of him, but I don’t think he is going anywhere unless Dallas has replacements in mind. I’d love to see a solid veteran to pair with him and help round out his game.

Beyond that, anyone else is fair game.

Sebastian Ibeagha is a veteran center-back who has been solid but nothing more. Maybe a team needs depth and leadership in that area and plans to push for a playoff run. Ibeagha has won championships before with Los Angeles FC. He makes a lot of sense for someone like FC Cincinnati, who have been dealing with a depleted backline. Omar Gonzalez and Sam Junqua aren’t much of a drop off with Ibeagha departing.

Paul Arriola has a tough contract to trade within the league. We always thought San Diego would make a play for the hometown guy, but would FC Dallas have to pay for part of the contract to offload him? Rumors have swirled about him returning to Mexico. Is that a possibility? Would his departure open up a DP slot for Dallas?

Ema Twumasi has yet to achieve a role as anything more than a decent defensive-minded right-back. A change of venue could be a growth opportunity, but unless Geovane Jesus gets healthy, I’m not sure there is any potential of moving him. Dallas may need him.

Jesus Ferreira is still young and has tremendous upside, especially if he can get healthy. I’d love to see him get moved into a situation to challenge him professionally, but is there much interest for him internationally? Could a Liga MX side still come calling on a loan and future fee kind of setup? Or do you still hope to build around him, since he can be a very dangerous and productive striker?

Dante Sealy is still young but his extended minutes this year have had a lot of fans second-guessing giving him a larger role. He’s not a left wingback. Could he still emerge as a wing option somewhere in MLS?

Eugene Ansah came last season as the team pushed for a playoff spot, and he had some good performances in the Leagues Cup. Lately, though, he’s been an expensive bench player and often left off the lineup completely. He is way overpriced for what he has provided. Does FC Dallas have a buyout option for him? Could someone be open to taking the guy on loan and at least opening an international roster spot for the club?

What could fans expect?

If FC Dallas can move a combination of players, via trades, loans, and sales, a chunk of salary cap space could be opened up. My gut is - Paes goes out on loan with mandatory future fee, Dante Sealy gets a loan to a USL-C side (with said team picking up a little bit of his salary), Eugene Ansah is bought out or sold for cheap, Sebastian Ibeagha is traded within the league, and Paul Arriola moves to Liga MX. All of those moves generate enough cap space for the squad to go out and bring in a legitimate center-back to pair with Tafari and upgrade the defense in the short term and maybe take a flyer on an attacking talent for the second half of the season. That still leaves some space for an incoming coach to begin to play with and keeps FC Dallas in a distant shout for a playoff spot.

It also clears room for more minutes to young players to see if they can take their next step with the squad.

What are your thoughts? Who are the players you think stay and those who would be up for a reasonable bid?

1. And to be absolutely clear, any time you ever read one of these transfer rumor pieces, know unless the author is Tom Bogert (and even then be suspicious), it’s all speculation. We know nothing other than a few tidbits here and there. Things are fluid. But it can be fun to speculate.