With NWSL offseason underway, the Kansas City Current will target these roster positions

The NWSL is officially in offseason mode — and the same is true for the KC Current.

After a top-four finish and semifinal exit in the Current’s first year with Vlatko Andonovski at the helm, the club seeks to build on the foundation created in 2024.

“We are able to look back with an immense amount of pride in the success (of 2024), knowing that we laid a foundation for 2025 where we are hungry for more,” general manager Caitlin Carducci said in a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re very happy with how the season turned out, especially with new staff and a lot of new players,” Carducci continued. “But we’re not settled by any stretch of the imagination, and we’re really excited to get to work next year.”

The Current has already started that work, announcing its end-of-season roster moves on Tuesday.

Before announcing the moves, the Current locked down Nichelle Prince to a contract extension through 2026.

As far as contracts go, Adrianna “AD” Franch, Almuth Schult, Katie Fraine, Elizabeth Ball, Mallory Weber and Kristen Hamilton are out of contract and heading into free agency.

Stine Ballisager and Sophie Braun’s 2025 options were declined.

Regan Steigleder’s and Bia Zaneratto’s options were exercised.

Hildah Magaia’s loan from Mazatlan has expired, and she will return to her club. The club signed but never announced the addition of Opeyemi Ajakaye in the fall. She is on loan to USL Super League team Carolina Ascent through 2024.

Here’s how the KC Current roster stands at the moment:

• GK: NONE

• DEFENDERS: Ellie Wheeler, Hailie Mace, Kayla Sharples, Alana Cook, Izzy Rodriguez, Regan Steigleder, Gabrielle Robinson (SEI)

• MIDFIELD: Debinha, Vanessa DiBernardo, Bayley Feist, Claire Hutton, Jereko, Lo’eau LaBonta

• FORWARDS: Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper, Alex Pfeiffer (SEI), Nichelle Prince, Bia Zaneratto.

What positions will the Current target?

Well, it’s clear the Current roster lacks goalkeepers.

Almuth Schult was a standout in her short time with the team. Schult posted seven clean sheets in 11 total games for the Current and conceded just eight goals.

Franch has been a mainstay since joining via trade in 2021. She was a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 but battled with Cassie Miller for the starting spot in 2022 and was eventually beaten out by Schult this summer.

Both goalkeepers are free agents. Carducci said the team is still negotiating with both of them but also is talking to “anyone and everyone as far as the goalkeeper position.”

“We’re also looking externally,” Carducci continued. “Obviously, it’s an important position. (We want) to have something settled sooner rather than later. Going into preseason it’s definitely top of mind.”

One can expect three goalkeepers to be signed. Clubs rarely operate with less.

Additionally, the Current certainly needs to add to the center back position, whether that’s re-signing Ball or going out into the market. Robinson will likely start the season on the injury list as she battles back from a torn ACL, meaning there is a need for at least one more addition there.

Andonovski mentioned the need to fill the role left by Desiree Scott’s retirement — specifically a player the Current can bring off the bench to help close out games defensively. He added that another forward would be nice for more attacking firepower off the bench if the team is in need of goals late.

“We never really needed that because, in almost all the games, we were ahead throughout the season,” Andonovski said. “Until the last game, when we felt like, ‘OK, we could use another forward.’”

The NWSL trade window opens December 13, with a moratorium on transactions from December 20 through December 26. Free agency is open now.

Current announces front-office addition

One under-the-radar announcement came from Carducci during Tuesday’s news conference. The team has hired Ryan Dell as its head of soccer operations, filling the role Carducci vacated by becoming the club’s general manager.

Dell has spent the last two seasons as the general manager of Racing Louisville. His background is in operations. Prior to his role with Racing Louisville, Dell worked alongside Carducci and Andonovski with the United States Women’s National Team.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.