Team chemistry plays into Crew’s offseason moves
Crew fans didn’t want to see Federico Higuain go, but the curtains closed on that chapter last week when team president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko announced that he would not re-sign the 35-year-old Argentinian playmaker.
“Whether it was this season, next season or the season after, it was going to come time for Pipa to end his time with the club or end playing,” Bezbatchenko said Monday. “We’ve been looking (at a replacement) really since the summer.”
Higuain exited as one of the city’s alltime sports greats. Eventually, there comes a time to move on from a club legend, especially an aging one coming off a season-ending knee surgery. But there isn’t a clear replacement for Higuain, making that the top priority this offseason.
Adding a central attacking midfielder requires a significant investment from ownership. On top of that, with a few more roster decisions to hash out, the Crew’s busy transfer window from the summer will likely continue into the offseason with 13 roster spots open.
“We’ll use all mechanisms (to acquire players), but you do have to be mindful again of the locker room and making sure the chemistry is what you need it to be,” coach Caleb Porter said.
Lost in the news about the decision to move on from Higuain was the exercising of options for a few core players. Midfielders Pedro Santos, Wil Trapp and Luis Argudo, and defenders Jonathan Mensah, Hector Jimenez and Waylon Francis are all returning.
Another key starter, right back Harrison Afful, is in contract negotiations. Bezbatchenko said he expects Afful, 33, to re-sign.
Santos proved in his move from the wing to Higuain’s spot that he’s vital to the club’s success. He had 11 goals and six assists, his career-best in any league.
It would make sense for the Crew to target a younger attacking midfielder who it could flip for a transfer fee in the future. Porter and Bezbatchenko said that age won’t be a significant factor, but he will have to play well next to Santos, who will likely start on the left wing.
“That’s an underestimated part of putting a winning team together,” Porter said. “We need a ‘10’ that’s going to be a playmaker, a chance creator, a goal scorer, a final passer. Not easy to find those guys, but the teams that win have a guy like that.”
The Crew has yet to decide on the options of defender Connor Maloney and forward Jordan Hamilton, and Romario Williams is out of contract and is also waiting on a decision.
It’s unlikely the Crew keeps both Hamilton and Romario Williams with JJ Williams still on the roster. That could be a position the Crew eventually adds to as well.
Another versatile player on the wing wouldn’t hurt, though that position is fairly set. The club will surely build its depth in the attacking midfield, and it has roster space for more holding midfielders with Artur and Trapp.
After playing on loan with Colorado since May, center back Lalas Abubakar has drawn a lot of interest from other teams that have contacted the Crew. Moving him would open a spot at center back.
“We want to make sure that we’re making a decision that’s best for our club,” Bezbatchenko said. “But we’re obviously going to speak to Lalas and see what he wants to do as well.”
The Crew was the busiest team in Major League Soccer during the summer transfer window. The key players it brought on — Luis Diaz, Youness Mokhtar and goalkeeper Eloy Room — made immediate impacts and have done their part in establishing playoff expectations for next season. The core group is still around. But a lot of work remains.
“It’s important to have a balance of young players and mature, experienced players,” Porter said, “and it’s important to have a balance of domestic players and I think a little bit of foreign flare for me.”
jmyers@dispatch.com @Jacob_myers_25