The summer transfer window is not necessarily Wilfried Nancy’s favorite time of the year.
Yes, the first-year Crew coach is always interested in ways to improve his team. And from July 5 until Aug. 2, MLS teams have the ability to either trade players within the league or officially sign additions from other countries.
With the Crew sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and taking a six-game unbeaten streak into Saturday’s game with New York City FC, Nancy said that while the Crew could still add another player this summer, doing so wouldn’t necessarily be his highest. priority.
“The type of coach that I am, during this period of the window I am open to opportunities to improve the team,” Nancy said Thursday, one day after the window opened. “Now, does it mean we’re going to do it? It means I’m open to that. What is really important for me is I don’t like to add players just to add players. It’s important for me to have quality.”
That means that should Nancy want to add a player, it’s important to the coach that he’s a good person in addition to being good on the field. It’s a distinction Nancy went out of her way to specifically mention during her press conference.
Nancy said he prefers to add players during the primary transfer window, which takes place during the offseason.
“This window, I’m not a big fan because there is a chemistry already with the team,” he said. “If there’s something we really want, we’re going to do it… I like to wait until the end of the year to really do what I want to do, knowing sometimes we can have opportunities in the summertime to have a player.”
The Crew have added one player this summer, but he won’t be available for a while. Ukrainian center back Yevhen Cheberko is with the club after his signing was announced on June 9, but he’s not yet ready to contribute.
“He’s been out for five weeks, so he’s here but he won’t be ready for the game (Saturday),” Nancy said. “It’s going to take time for him to work back into shape. I cannot give you a timeline, but what I know for sure is that he’s going to have to get back with us and train with us and we’ll see.”
Otherwise, Nancy said there’s no specific position of need the Crew could be targeting during the current window. The Crew have nine international players on the roster and acquired a 10th international roster spot via trade with Seattle on Wednesday evening.
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“It’s dynamic, because, yes, I had ideas maybe one month ago and at the present moment this is not the same idea,” he said. “Maybe players improved, so why bring in another player? That doesn’t mean we’re going to do nothing. I’m open. I don’t have a specific position. I have ideas, but for the moment I’ll keep them to myself.”
Aidan Morris’ next step uncertain
When he chose the United States over Canada for his national team future, Crew midfielder Aidan Morris said he was following his heart in choosing to represent his home country in the Gold Cup as a dream come true. But after making his first two appearances for the Americans, Morris left the team on July 2 for what was announced as “personal reasons.”
One day later, Nancy said he had “no idea” when Morris could be rejoining the Crew. Thursday morning, before his team’s training session, Nancy said he had not had any new conversations with the midfielder.
Asked if he expected Morris to return to the club, Nancy said, “I have no answer for that.” Moments later, a team spokesperson said that Nancy was talking about when Morris would return to the Crew, not if he would be back.
Morris played the entirety of the United States’ opening 1-1 tie with Jamaica on June 24 and came on in the 56th minute of a 6-0 win against St. Kitts four days later. He is still on the team’s active roster, however, while injured midfielder Alan Soñora has been removed for his replacement, Jackson Yueill.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will the Crew add to its roster during the summer transfer window?