Vermes: We are not finished in trying to improve our team

Back in November, Peter Vermes addressed a small group of media. A lot of the conversation wrapped around the fact that there would be an “injection of capital” and how it would allow Sporting Kansas City to go after players that were a tier or two or even three higher than what they were able to do in the past.

The acquisition of Alan Pulido for a club record transfer fee (rumored to be $9.5 million) definitely showed they were serious about the injection of capital.

Vermes also said that they were working on other positions. “Each of the lines we are getting a player, at least one, if not more,” Vermes stated.

Since that time, Sporting KC added forward Alan Pulido and brought back Khiry Shelton. Two players on the forward line. SKC signed Croatian defender Roberto Puncec and brought back Amadou Dia to presumably compete for center back and left back time respectively. Two players on the back line.

Even the keeper position got a new player when they took Richard Sanchez in the Re-Entry Draft. Two forwards, two defenders and a keeper. The only line that has not received reinforcements yet is the midfield. With the loss of Yohan Croizet, Benny Feilhaber, Jimmy Medranda and Gedion Zelalem, there is a need for some depth in the middle.

The Blue Testament asked if there was still plans to bring someone in at midfield.

“We are not finished,” Vermes responded. “We are not finished in trying to improve our team. We are working that way but we don’t have anything done yet. We still have some areas of need we believe. Some of it is now but also for the future and we would like to acquire it now because it will give us a leg up. We would already get him into our system and we could spend time with him.

“There is more to come, that is what we are working towards,” Vermes continued. “This isn’t one of those where I say things can happen, no, we are really working to make a couple other acquisitions. They won’t be here before the preseason starts but hopefully, hopefully if we can get those done, they will see us maybe at the end of this first phase or maybe in the second.”

For reference, Sporting KC’s preseason starts Jan 19^th and runs through Feb 1^st for the first phase. After a few days back in Kansas City, the second phase is Feb 8^th through the 23^rd with the first match on the 29^th at the Vancouver Whitecaps and March 7^th at home versus the Houston Dynamo. The official transfer window is not even open yet. The MLS Primary Transfer Window run from Feb 12^th through May 5^th but the roster compliance date is Feb 28^th, the day before the MLS opener.

If the players come through that Sporting KC is working on, it could be a couple weeks away still before they are announced, perhaps even close to the start of the season but they are planning on adding players still.