Lutz Pfannenstiel has been preparing for this offseason for months.
After a whirlwind 2023 campaign, the St. Louis CITY SC sporting director is prepared to build on his club’s unexpected success with acquisitions and roster moves designed to help CITY take the next step. Pfannenstiel’s gamble on young, hungry talent—propped up by a spine of veteran leaders—propelled St. Louis into Concacaf Champions Cup qualification. It’s a feat that the club could have only dreamed about at this time last year, and something that’s only possible thanks to Pfannenstiel’s commitment to his guiding principles and dedication to the club’s plan.
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With the first round of the Champions Cup due to kick off in early February, it’s necessary for CITY to take care of any transfer business during the forthcoming January window. Though the 2023 season only recently ended, CITY’s next campaign will be coming soon.
“We have a plan—we’ve had a plan for quite a long time in where we want to strengthen,” Pfannenstiel said last week. “Remember the last time we spoke [ahead of the summer transfer window]. I said that we don’t want to have the quick fix. We want to have strategic positions. That’s what we did.”
To get a feel for CITY’s plan for 2024, simply revisit the club’s activity this past summer.
The in-season acquisitions of Nökkvi Thórisson and Anthony Markanich were really made with next year in mind, while head coach Bradley Carnell continued to encourage the development of guys like AZ Jackson, Indiana Vassilev, Sam Adeniran, Célio Pompeu, and other young players.
“I’m already looking forward to the next transfer window.” Pfannenstiel insisted, “We have a plan where we want to strengthen and that’s now the work for the next few weeks, to be active, to keep ears and eyes open, and try to again find the right players for our DNA. It doesn’t have to be the biggest names, [and] it doesn’t have to be the best player out there on the market. It needs to be the guy who fits the best the way we want to play.”
Already, CITY’s needs are fairly apparent.
The lack of depth in the wide areas hurt the club down the stretch. The absence of a complete fullback could simply be addressed by the progression of Watts and Markanich, though Carnell sees Watts as a midfielder first and fullback second.
Then there is Kyle Hiebert, who was an effective fullback at times this season. But Hiebert isn’t a natural fullback. Meanwhile, Jake Nerwinski and John Nelson seemed to fall out of favor as the season progressed. Nelson is one of just three players without an option on their expired contract, joining Watts and Jon Bell as the players who will need an offer by next Wednesday.
Jackson, Pompeu, Adeniran, Markanich, Jared Stroud, Lucas Bartlett, and Michael Creek all have club options for the next season, so the club will have to make a decision on those players by Friday, December 1.
MLS’ trade window opens on Monday, December 11, followed by the opening of free agency on Wednesday, December 13.
In the coming weeks, Pfannenstiel will also have to find the right balance between stocking up on depth options for what could be a long 2024 campaign, and leaving a pathway for players from the academy system. Caden Glover could be ready to fight for playing time in 2024, but it’s a crowded scene at the top of the lineup. Miggy Perez, Michael Wentzel, Mykhi Joyner are among the others who look ready to push into a larger role next season.
For Pfannenstiel, part of the equation is recognizing that having more games on the docket means CITY needs more players it can depend on.
“Having four competitions instead of three, the timing will get even tighter and the players will be under more stress,” Pfannenstiel said. “Yes, it’s tough. but it’s also cool. It’s a great achievement [to play in the Champions Cup] and we just have to find the right switches and work hard and be smart with the way we are doing it.”
That’s all to say that you shouldn’t expect CITY to land a ground-shaking acquisition in January. Yes, the club will work to bolster its ranks, though the moves will be an extension of what Pfannenstiel has done to this point: seemingly smaller, savvy transfers that add up to the next step in the club’s long-term plan.
