Watching Minnesota United struggle to find the net against Vancouver last weekend at a sweltering Allianz field, it was hard not to come away thinking one thing: boy, this team could really use a talent infusion – and soon.
While the scoreless draw presented a vast improvement over Minnesota's previous meeting with Vancouver – a 6-0 drubbing at B.C. Place in March – the Loons offense looks increasingly out of sorts. Forwards Kelvin Yeboah and Momodu Dieng looked stranded and disconnected from the midfield, and Minnesota seldom posed a threat. They are now winless across nine games and have scored three goals in their last five.
While head Coach Cameron Knowles pointed out in his postgame presser that Minnesota used a scoreless home draw against Seattle as a springboard for the team's best run of form back in March – a five-game unbeaten streak – this is not likely to move the needle much in terms of a morale boost for frustrated fans, a smattering of whom chose to shower the field with boos at the closing whistle. What is more likely to provide some hope is contemplating what Minnesota United may choose to do during the MLS Summer Transfer Window, also called the Secondary Transfer Window, which officially opened July 13 and closes September 2.
Historically, Minnesota United has leaned on the Summer Transfer Window to strengthen its roster. In their first ever summer window back in 2017, they signed a dynamic winger from Scotland named Sam Nicholson, who you may or may not remember, and also brought in a rugged young center back out of New Zealand named Michael Boxall. Emanuel Reynoso, the most expensive player the team has ever purchased, was officially signed as summer ticked away on September 1 of 2020. Last year, Minnesota's front office worked hard down the stretch to bring in talented midfielder Nectarios Triantis – currently rated as one the team's most valuable assets. There have been hits and there have been misses for sure, but overall Minnesota has not been shy about signing players shortly before the leaves turn.
What Loons fans can expect to happen during the window this year is difficult to say. The rumor mill has not been as active as fans would like, and the front office has not been vocal about their plans.
At a press conference held early in July to introduce new club's new CEO Christina Hennington, who will officially begin her duties at the end of the season, team officials made multiple references to the organization's financially conservative approach to roster building. "We are not going to be the club that goes out and spends the most money to get a 20 or 30 million dollar player," said outgoing CEO Shari Ballard. "Philosophically, we do not believe that's the way you build a sustainable, consistently high-performing team."
Owner Bill McGuire echoed these sentiments later in the press conference when he addressed potential changes to MLS roster rules that could allow teams to sign more than three designated players. "There’s always somebody with more money, and there are a lot of them out there with more money than we have."
These statements will come as no surprise to longtime fans, as Minnesota has consistently ranked in the bottom third among MLS teams in overall spend. However, they don't necessarily mean that the team plans to ignore the summer transfer window altogether. Knowles responded to questions about summer signings after a training session leading up to the game at Kansas City. "Our recruitment team is doing an incredible job of trying to continue to find options for us and work through, and hopefully we'll have some that we can get across the line here soon."
Knowles said that although the team didn't have an "immediate timeline" on any new players, he indicated that he expected deals to be made. "We are always looking to strengthen the squad."
As for what "strengthen the squad" means, I don't think that's much of a mystery; the front office will be pursuing players that can help the team generate scoring chances. The unsuccessful – and not inexpensive – signing of Austrian Dominik Fitz, as well the opportunistic acquisition of the now-retired James Rodriguez, indicate the team's desire to bulk up the roster with players of the midfield playmaker variety. This is not to say they are unhappy with attacking midfielder Joaquin Pereyra, who leads the team with five assists, but that they are anxious to find additional pieces that can help draw attention away from players like Pereyra and the team's leading scorer Yeboah.
Matt Doyle made this point in his eagerly-anticipated Summer Transfer Window column. Doyle pegged the team's most pressing need as a "dynamic" winger who has the 1v1 skill to "create some gravity." To me, this underscores how much the team misses a guy like the in-prime Robin Lod, and that while the newly-acquired winger Tomas Chancalay has shown grit and moments of brilliance, he has not consistently been able to create the kind of "gravity" that Doyle is talking about.
Of course striker depth is another big talking point around the Minnesota United subreddit water cooler. In spite of leading the team in goals, a vocal contingent of fans online remain skeptical about Yeboah as the team's number nine. Dieng – who got the rare opportunity to start up front with Yeboah against Vancouver – has shown promise as his off-the-ball movement improves, but he has yet to register a goal or assist. It would be surprising to see the team invest in the type of high profile striker that would make the Yeboah skeptics happy, but an investment in an additional option to soak up minutes up front seems plausible.
In spite of Knowles' reassurances that the team is pursuing players as we speak, the rumor mill is, like I said, slow. The team is not sharing any specifics with the press, and a person scouring the internet will come across only two tangible names associated with Minnesota United at this time. The Pioneer Press's Andy Greder, among others, has identified 25-year old Spanish attacker Ivan Jaime as a person of interest for Minnesota United. Jaime is listed as a central midfielder or left winger. Jaime signed a pretty hefty contract with Porto in 2023, and spent some time on loan first to Valencia and then to Montreal. The loan to Montreal expired recently, and he is apparently back with Porto for now.
Jaime's numbers at Montreal don't impress, with one goal and two assists across 18 appearances in 2025 and 26, but given how much Montreal has struggled as a club I wouldn't necessarily put too much stock in those stats. A player-to-player comparison between Chancalay and Jaime on Transfermarkt shows Jaime's current value as $4 million Euros, while Chancalay's is $ 2.5 million. Not to say that this is any kind of perfect measurement, but it does provide some context. Based on Jaime's loan adventures, it seems clear that he is a player still trying to find the right fit. He strikes me as a player with the profile to inject some juice into Minnesota's offense – or at the very least provide another attacking option.
After Jaime, the the next rumor is even more . . ."Loonsy." Apparently Minnesota is set to bring in 23 year-0ld Peruvian defender Kluiverth Aguilar, who had a stint with Manchester City, has been playing with Belgian Pro League side Lommel, and is currently recovering from an Achilles tendon injury suffered last June. This is a classic stash-for-later signing, with Aguilar inking a second team deal. He may or may not ever see first team minutes, but it's the kind of classic low-risk move that the MNUFC front office has become known for. Aguilar won't cost much, and the scouting department apparently sees potential there.
These two prospects won't exactly vault the spirits skyward, but Jaime at the least seems like a guy with some immediate upside. At this time last year there weren't a ton of names connected with the club either. However, I have fond memories of being glued to my phone on a bus ride back from the State Fair as I watched the signings start to jump out of the woodwork and fill out the Loons roster in time for the playoff push.
Let's remember that Minnesota United isn't really known for its capacity to lock things down early in any window. Probably that's at least partially a function of being bargain hunters, but maybe the front office has procrastination issues. Either way, if potential signees like a guy Porto loaned to Montreal or a Peruvian defender on the mend from tearing his Achilles don't do it for you, have patience. By the time Sweet Martha's fires up their ovens, things could be heating up in the MLS Secondary Window as well.
