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While other Major League Soccer clubs make key additions to their roster, the Vancouver Whitecaps have been oddly silent. This is strange given the poor 2016 season, the clear gaps in their roster, and the early start to the 2017 season thanks to the CONCACAF Champions League.
There has been a scattering of rumors. It had been assumed by some, for two years, that Honduran Romell Quioto would sign with the Vancouver Whitecaps. However, that rumor was officially laid to rest on December 23rd, when Houston Dynamo officially signed the forward.
The biggest news out of the Whitecaps camp has been on who will not be returning, with Pedro Morales’ option being declined, Fraser Aird returning to Scottish club Rangers, and Canadian academy product Marco Carducci moving on. On the non-player front, potentially the biggest, and most surprising, change was Whitecaps FC 2 coach Alan Koch heading to FC Cincinnati.
The Whitecaps have attempted to fill one glaring hole though, with the trading for right back Sheanon Williams; although some are not too confident in him being much of an improvement. There have been other rumors of potential additions. In November 26-year-old Costa Rican David Guzman was linked to Vancouver. While the Saprissa connection resulted in this rumor carrying a bit more weight, his defensive midfield position made less sense given the presence of Matias Laba.
More recently Canadian midfielder Scott Arfield has been linked to the Whitecaps, along with former Real Salt Lake midfielder Luis Gil and former LA Galaxy midfielder Juninho. Although Scott Arfield fills the need for a box-to-box midfielder, his contract is not up for another year, while Juninho appears headed for Chicago Fire. Most importantly, the rumored players are midfielders -arguably their deepest position- while the always asked but never answered question "who will score goals for the Whitecaps" remains unanswered. Unless you believe that 2016 ThunderCaps standout Kyle Greig is the answer (spoiler alert: he's not).
Despite some of the frustration Whitecaps fans might be feeling right now, it is important to remember that the Transfer Window technically does not open for a few more days. Moreover, Carl Robinson is not one to play the rumor game too much, so there might be someone lined up that we have not heard about. That is, the signing may suddenly be announced with little to no lead-in.
So, we all sit patiently, awaiting the big splash signing that may (probably?) never come. What are your thoughts on what is to come over the next month? Will the Whitecaps remain quiet? Will we see a major signing out of nowhere? Let us know what Whitecaps present you most want!