Why the next phase of Sporting KC’s roster overhaul brings greatest risk, reward
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sporting KC has eight open spots; seeking defenders, a midfielder, and 1–2 wingers.
- Club focuses on U-22 signings (and DPs exist) for impact and resale value.
- Previous U-22 signings gave playing value but produced no transfer returns.
Sporting Kansas City is in the middle of a roster rebuild. And frankly, the Major League Soccer team has already managed the easier part of that overhaul.
Sporting KC (0-1-0), whose home opener is set for Saturday against the Columbus Crew (7:30 p.m. at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.), has added 11 players to the 12 who remained at the end of the 2025 season.
Confronting the sort of roster overhaul that Sporting KC is undergoing, there are safer acquisitions — players who immediately raise the floor with experience and upside and won’t necessarily break the bank — and riskier ones.
Sporting KC president of soccer operations/general manager David Lee is still looking to fill a whopping eight open roster spots.
“We’re still looking at defenders, we still would like to add another midfielder (and) we’d also like to add at least one, if not two, wingers to the group, as well,” Lee said during this week’s team media day event at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
“I do think adding some physicality and some speed into the team is going to be important,” he added.
You know the positions that Sporting KC is targeting, and you know the traits and profiles club officials are seeking. What comes next is the part that makes the biggest difference in a roster: acquiring impact players.
In MLS terms, that means Designated Players. But Sporting KC already has two on its roster, in Manu Garcia and Dejan Joveljic.
The next level of impact players, underneath the Designated Players, are U-22 initiative players. Their impact can be twofold — on the field and financially.
Both categories of player — Designated Players and U-22 initiative players — require investment on the part of the team. The greatest return on that investment can come from players in the U-22 initiative.
But that is also where the biggest risks lie.
“Ultimately, if and when we sign players in the U-22 initiative slots, we want them to grow value,” Lee said, “To be players that can be assets for the for us now, but also that we can participate in the transfer market and eventually sell. That’s also why most of those players will end up coming here.”
Finding players at the right price is paramount. Take, for example, Sporting KC’s last three U-22 initiative signings: Logan Ndenbe, Marinos Tzionis and Robert Voloder.
While the transfer fees Sporting KC paid to acquire that trio in 2022 were not disclosed, reports indicated they totaled roughly $2 million combined. None of those three left the club in a manner that brought a return on that investment.
Neither Ndenbe nor Voloder was re-signed at the end of the 2025 season; both are now free agents. Tzionis was allowed to walk for free six months before his 2025 contract option was due. Ndenbe delivered some returns on the field, but none of the three brought real return on KC’s initial investment.
Lee noted that during his time in New York City, that team invested between $4 million and $6 million in some players, but those players were difficult to sell. Gabriel Pereira notably sold for $10 million, however, double his reported acquisition cost of $5.5 million.
“When you’re investing in that type of price range, you’ve got to believe you can sell at $8 (million), $10 (million) or $12 million,” Lee said. “Well, we know that the top players in MLS, you can sell at that price range. But you’ve got to be a top player in MLS … That’s going to be the expectation, in terms of level of impact.”
So Sporting KC is targeting acquisitions in specific positions of need, and Lee is looking for impact — for player who can be developed and eventually transferred out for profitable transfer fees. Money made off such transactions can help improve a club’s roster year over year.
That’s why some signings take so long to secure and finalize. Ultimately, Lee and other team decision-makers across the league are looking for the right investments, knowing the wrong ones can hurt your club for years to come.
“We’re asked to make sensible investments for players that can help us, first on the pitch, but also that we think can grow value,” Lee said. “So we have to be really careful on what we invest in upfront, to make sure there’s a potential for return down the line, as well.”
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.