What Do The Whitecaps Need? Transfer Profile Analysis

With the Secondary Transfer Window opening up on Friday for Canadian clubs, the Whitecaps have a unique opportunity to start to get some players in before their other American-based MLS sides, who have to wait until July 18th to get their players across the line. With injuries and flattened form plaguing some of the ‘Caps’ players, AFTN explores some of the profiles that the Whitecaps need to try to bring in this transfer window to help boost their chances at finishing in those coveted first four spots in the Western Conference table.

Let’s look at these from most important to least important, but still needing to be strengthened.

Position #1: Creative Midfielder

It might seem a bit daft to say that the Whitecaps need a creative midfielder when they already have a player like Ryan Gauld, who has six assists, 12 big chances created, and 56 regular chances created so far this season. But the issue is that Gauld has no back-up right now. Behind him is Ryan Raposo, who has four assists, five big chances created, and 23 regular chances created. Pretty decent for the Canadian, but his consistency isn’t enough on the wing to be a reliant creator. His numbers are also significantly behind Gauld, pointing to the gap between the Scot and the rest of the team.

Beyond assists and chances created, Gauld is one of the few players the Whitecaps have to try to unlock defences. When an opposition team sits deep, the Whitecaps have shown to have difficulty breaking down those stubborn blocks, relying ultimately on a moment of magic from someone, more often than not Gauld. Having another creative midfielder that can do these aspects of the game would not only support Gauld in terms of numbers, but also in terms of relieving him of some of that pressure. At various times, the Whitecaps have been too reliant on their star players to perform, and when players like Gauld or Brian White (who we will speak about in the next section) are not in good form, it stunts the output of the entire team.

Thus, the “Working-Class” MVP needs help. There have been whispers, admittedly downplayed by the club, about one Marc Leonard potentially coming into the fold for the Whitecaps. The Brighton and Northampton midfielder has been a blossoming star in the lower leagues of England, where he registered five goals and six assists in 2023-24. He could fit that bill, but he has not been tested at the level of MLS (which might not be as high to some as others but surely is above middle League One level), thus making it another project player for the future rather than a sure-fire starter that will improve the team now.

Perhaps a player like Mathieu Choiniere could be the answer, after it was revealed he wanted to leave earlier in the season. He is to Montreal what Gauld is to the Whitecaps, so to have two of those kind of players would surely fire the team up to create many more chances. But the issue becomes that of salary cap, compensation, and the desire for Choiniere to move across the country.

Regardless, the position is the most pertinent position to fulfill, given that Gauld is not an infinite resource that the ‘Caps can tap from, as well as the fact that he will be absent at times and then playing extra matches, such as his upcoming All-Star duties.

Position #2: Clinical Forward

It seems harsh to say that the Whitecaps desperately need a forward when Brian White has broken the MLS goalscoring record for the Whitecaps, surpassing the infamous Camilo Sanvezzo. But the truth of the matter is that Brian White, while a good goalscorer, is not the most clinical. In most games, for every three to four chances to score, he will put away one. He obviously sometimes has his moments, like when he scored a ridiculous hat-trick against St. Louis at the end of last month. But in general, White is not a prolific scorer.

Don’t get me wrong, scoring goals is not what it’s all about for a forward in the modern game. In terms of build-up, pressing from the front, and link-up play, White is crucial to the way the Whitecaps play. I’m not saying we get rid of White, he is up there with Gauld in terms of importance for the team, but, if the Whitecaps add some certified competition up front, it could help in many ways. At best, it will push White to be better now that his position up top could be under threat and get the best out of him (as it was when Cordova started to score mid-way through last season). At worst, the team will have someone else that can take over goalscoring duties while White manages to get back to form.

It also doesn’t have to be the case where it is either the new forward or White in the XI. If the Whitecaps can get a goalscoring winger that can play a bit more centrally, then White, Gauld, and that player could make a devastating front three. Gauld brings the creativity, White the link-up play, and the winger the goals. “But we already have some attackers!” you might say, which is true. But they haven’t been cutting the mustard so far this season.

Fafa Picault might be leaving despite a strong start to his Whitecaps career. Picault seemed like a smart signing, but he has begun to fade a bit recently (aside from his assist for White vs Montreal and his late goal against St Louis). The same goes for Damir Kreilach. He seemed promising in that home game against Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but since then he has been plagued by injuries that have kept him out of the picture. Kreilach is also too similar a profile to White in terms of how they play, so adding another attacker with a different profile, like a more pacey, in-behind attacker, could be useful to bring some versatility to the attack. That could be Levonte Johnson, but he hasn’t shown that killer instinct needed to be a constant threat in the attack at this level.

Overall, the Whitecaps need help in the goal-scoring department. Whether it’s a like-for-like competition for White or simply a different kind of forward, it doesn’t matter. As long as there is someone there that can help the attack, that is all that matters.

Position #3: Direct and Pacey Right Wing-Back

Towards the end of the Secondary Transfer Window of last year, the Whitecaps made a trio of stellar signings of Canadian Men’s National Team players, including midfielder Junior Hoilett, and wingbacks Sam Adekugbe and Richie Laryea. Fast forward almost a year, and only Adekugbe remains, albeit pestered with constant injury issues. While Hoilett’s leaving hadn’t left much of a hole in the team, the loss of Richie Laryea has.

Since switching back to a three-at-the-back midway through the season in 2023, the roles of wingbacks have been crucial to the Whitecaps in both the attack and in the defence. When fit, Adekugbe is up there as one of the best in that left wingback position. With the news that he is likely traveling with the team to St.Louis, hopes are to see him soon return to that form that we were witnessing just a year or so ago. But that still leaves the role of the right wingback.

Sebastian Berhalter, Alessandro Schöpf, and Ryan Raposo have all played on that right side, to varying success. The former two are midfielders, and when the formation shifts into a 4-3-2-1 or a 3-3-1-3 in possession, they are good players given their history being in the middle of the park. But when the game gets stretched and they are forced to play more wide, they sometimes lack the pace or the directness needed to break down the right and attack. And when teams clog up the middle and you need the wide channels to try to break down those blocks, you need those same qualities. That was what Laryea has been so good at for both club and country (as well as winning fouls) and what has been missing from the game of Berhalter and Schöpf. Raposo does have more speed and directness, but he is not one to take on his man and beat his marker.

Whitecaps have, however, made a signing already that could amend this issue. Giuseppe Bovalina is a right-footed wingback that has plenty of energy on the wing and has shown that he is more than willing to attack down his side and try to create something in the final third. The only problem is we have barely seen enough of him to say that he fits the bill that the Whitecaps need. Therefore, if the Whitecaps could find a more experienced wingback with pace and directness, and have Bovalina as the back-up, it could make for a fine pairing.

Other Possible Shouts

The three profiles outlined are the three profiles that the Whitecaps need the most. But that doesn’t mean those are the only ones the ‘Caps could go for. Centre-back could be another area of improvement, especially with Tristan Blackmon injured until Leagues Cup and Ranko Veselinović in some inconsistent form. However, with Bjørn Inge Utvik and Mathías Laborda coming into their own recently, perhaps it is not as essential a position as the others.

Andres Cubas’ absence during the Copa America also demonstrated a dwarf in class for the Whitecaps, especially when defending in transition. The Paraguayan is excellent in breaking down attacks as they are forming and making some crucial tackles when the opposition is on the break, not to mention his superb passing range from deep when on the ball. Berhalter has his own qualities that add to the Whitecaps’ midfield when he is placed as Cubas’ deputy, but he is simply not at the level to do what Cubas does. So perhaps finding a proper back-up for Cubas should be a priority. The only issue with that is that it is very hard to find a player that can do even a fraction of what Cubas can do on the cheap, and who is also happy playing second-fiddle to Cubas.

However, aside from those positions, it seems like there isn’t much more room for improvement for the ‘Caps. That in part goes to show how much this roster has improved over the last few years, with some decent depth pretty much all around. Nevertheless, it is still a roster that can and should be improved, if the Whitecaps are to try to go beyond their past achievements and make a deep run into the play-offs. Which, at this point, with the quality in the team and the progress made under Vanni Sartini, it’s become no longer a pipe dream and now an expectation.