Transfer Window Guide: Each Eastern Conference team's status & needs

The MLS Secondary Transfer Window opened last week, which means this is late. Sorry about that! It’s been a very, very busy six weeks of covering the World Cup.

But we’re back to normal operating hours now. Back on the MLS grind.

A reminder that the league shifted the window this year to better align with the closing of the major European windows (most shut on Sept. 1; Turkey always stays open later, and their teams often get good deals because of it). MLS’s dates are now July 13 to September 2.

Will that matter in practice? I suspect so. We’ve already seen some teams do some real work, and that extra 24 hours at the end of the window could very well come into play. Would it matter more if MLS had taken the initiative to loosen roster restrictions ahead of this World Cup year? Yes, absolutely. Two more DPs per team, and a few million more in cap room… not one MLS owner would go broke from that, but every team would benefit, as would the overall quality of the league. Oh well. Hope that rocket fuel will keep for another 12 months.

Ok, now that we’ve set the table, let’s dive into what Eastern Conference teams need most. (If you're looking for the Western Conference, that’ll be tomorrow.)

Atlanta United

• Biggest Need: Someone to buy Emmanuel Latte Lath
• Roster Model: They’re locked into the Designated Player Model (three DPs, three U22s) unless there's a buyout. Which Atlanta fans are praying for.
• Premium Slots Available: One open U22 slot at the moment.

They've already tried to patch the sinking ship by bringing in veteran center backs Paulo Díaz and Júnior Alonso. "Bandaids on a gaping wound" is the expression that comes to mind.

The two things that seem pretty obvious to me at this point:

1. They went 0-for-3 on their big DP signings over the past two years. None of Aleksey Miranchuk, Miguel Almirón nor Latte Lath (ESPECIALLY Latte Lath) have been anywhere near worthy of a DP slot.
2. They have not compensated for that by developing young players – either homegrowns or draft picks or younger signings – at even a league-average rate.

This has been the case across multiple front offices, and multiple coaches. I suspect that new president of soccer Mauricio Culebro will begin moving off of these big contracts as soon as he can, but will also take his time with any sort of backfill beyond useful, low-cost veterans like Díaz and Alonso.

If you're wondering about buy-outs: Miranchuk is on $5.1m guaranteed and Almirón's on $7.9m guaranteed, both through the end of 2027, while Latte Lath is on $3.74m guaranteed through the end of 2028.

It's not just the DPs, though. Steven Alzate is on $1.4m guaranteed and Enea Mihaj is on $1.55m guaranteed, both through the end of 2028. They just have so many guys they need to get off the books.

Charlotte FC

• Biggest Need: A home for Liel Abada.
• Roster Model: Currently the DP model, but that could change.
• Premium Slots Available: All six premium roster slots are filled.

The Crown made one big move already this summer, declining to extend Wilfried Zaha's loan or purchase him outright, and replacing him with veteran Allan Saint-Maximin. I think that was a good move.

I'm very curious what the rest of the summer will bring. They're very clearly trying to move off of Abada – one of the more expensive DP busts in league history – who only has six guaranteed months left on his contract (as well as a "no way they'll exercise that" team option for 2027). If (when?) they part ways this summer, they'll have an open DP slot and the chance to upgrade the position of their choice (if I were them, I'd go with central midfield). Alternatively, they could not backfill the DP slot, go with a U22 build and actually get some GAM in (their coffers were bare the last time there was a leaguewide GAM update).

The other variable is winger Kerwin Vargas, who's never consistently produced and still takes up a U22 slot. He's been linked to Athletico Paranaense in Brazil for $4 million, which... god, take that money and run.