D.C. United made one of the biggest splashes of the MLS offseason so far by landing Julian Gressel via trade from Atlanta United, but head coach Ben Olsen says the club may not be done acquiring reinforcements ahead of the 2020 season.
According to Washington Post reporter Steven Goff, Olsen said that the club is in the market for more back line help and they're focusing on the European market as the top choice for where to find it.
D.C. conceded the second-fewest goals in MLS last season behind LAFC and boast a solid first-choice center back pairing in Frederic Brillant and Steve Birnbaum, but with both of those players sporting plenty of miles on their legs, it seems most likely that the club would be looking to add a third option in central defense. Gressel is a fullback by trade, but can also be deployed all over the midfield, so adding another fullback could also be a possibility for Olsen and Co.
The other defenders currently on D.C.'s roster currently are Oniel Fisher, Joseph Mora, Chris Odoi-Atsem and Donovan Pines.
2020 D.C. United Roster as of January 21, 2020:
HEAD COACH: Ben Olsen
FORWARDS (1):
- Kamara, Ola
MIDFIELDERS (12):
- Arriola, Paul
- Asad, Yamil
- Boateng, Emmanuel
- Canouse, Russell
- Flores, Edison
- Gressel, Julian
- Martins, Felipe
- Moreno, Junior
- Nyeman, Moses
- Paredes, Kevin
- Segura, Ulises
- Yow, Griffin
DEFENDERS (6):
- Birnbaum, Steven
- Brillant, Frederic
- Fisher, Oniel
- Mora, Joseph
- Odoi-Atsem, Chris
- Pines, Donovan
GOALKEEPERS (2):
- Edwards Jr., Earl
- Hamid, Bill
- Seitz, Chris
