For Sporting KC, shopping for players never stops

Many of the big leagues around the world are wrapping up their seasons around this time. Players contracts tend to end along with the season and clubs start preparing for the next season.

With the resulting player movement that always follows we thought it would be a good time to check in with Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes.

Question: With the different leagues seasons winding down, has the shopping for new players heated up?

Vermes: “It never stops, it just doesn’t stop. We have a full-time staff that does that all the time now so we are constantly looking. The only thing different now is that it is getting closer and closer to not necessarily decisions being made, but time is ticking away and because those seasons are ending movement starts to happen.”

Q: So this is the time teams and players will have to start making decisions?

Vermes: “People start to get more active, they don’t make decisions yet but they start to contemplate it seriously. and the negotiations take a step up.”

Q: For Sporting KC, are negotiations in advance stages or close to bringing someone in?

Vermes: “I wouldn’t say that we were there just yet, we have a lot of guys that we are talking to, a lot of different agencies that we are talking to but nothing close yet.”

Q: Are you looking in typical areas that you search for players, like Spain for example?

Vermes: “I would say typical but there are some places that we haven’t looked in the past as well.”

The secondary transfer window for the 2018 MLS season will run from July 10-August 8. Teams can negotiate and sign contracts with players and orchestrate transfers with teams prior to that window opening but those are the dates that MLS teams can officially add players to their roster again.