Let's find FC Dallas a new #10

After the departure of Alan Velasco to Boca Juniors for around $10 million earlier this year, FC Dallas has a good sized hole in their starting eleven. In preseason players like Patrickson and Anthony Ramirez have played there, getting the chance to fill Velasco’s boots and impress new coach Eric Quill.

Even so they’re not the permanent replacements for Velasco. MLS insider Tom Bogert posted the following on Bluesky Wednesday:

It’s comforting to know that Chief Soccer Officer Andre Zanotta and crew are still pursuing a Velasco replacement after reports about Portland’s Evander and Cincinnati’s Lucho Acosta evaporated. The Toros have a habit of keeping things under their collective hat, meaning we might not know who they sign until they hit send on a press release.

While we wait on that time, let’s see if we can’t use some context clues to figure out what the next DP 10 in Dallas could look like, with some suggestions based on prior knowledge.

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Some basic parameters

This isn’t a fantasy signing post, meaning we’ve got to work within some rules. We know for a fact Dallas won’t spend an exorbitant number on this hypothetical new player. Considering Boca paid $10 million for Velasco’s services and the reporting says the Evander bid was in the neighborhood of $12 million, that’s the range we’ll be using.

When it comes to the actual player profile we’ve been given some ideas publicly. Dallas ideally wants a winner, both Quill and Zanotta have expressed that desire. So points if they’ve won a trophy at some point. It’s also fair to say that whoever Dallas might want should skew younger. Not a guarantee mind you, but the younger the player the more likely they generate a profit later. Plus if we assume Dallas’ timeline has taken a step back, signing an older player might make less sense.

Now to dial this in a bit more, let’s show you the scouting report for Evander via FBRef:

And for Lucho Acosta:

We’d do the same for the aforementioned Rollheiser, but his lack of playing time means FBRef doesn’t have one compiled. No matter, the prior two tells us Dallas has been tangibly interested in dynamic offensive players. They’re wanting a goal scoring type who can move the ball forward as well. Defense would be nice, but they’re wanting pure scoring/assisting players to help existing top scorer Petar Musa.

With that in mind, here are some potential names that could appeal to Dallas.

Finn Azaz, Middlesbrough

In researching this piece, Azaz’ name showed up quite a bit. He’s a comparable player to Evander and Acosta, he turns 25 this September, and plays in the Championship which is an attainable market for MLS signings. As of this writing Azaz has eight goals and nine assists, both a career high. His scouting report per FBRef:

The similarities between the two MLS players and Azaz are numerous. He’s a goal scoring/creating machine with an emphasis on getting the ball forward. If he’s not the poster child for what Dallas wants, he’s as close as possible. Also he’s hoisted the League Two and League One trophies, so he’s got title winning experience as well.

Don’t go getting your Azaz FC Dallas kits yet though. The hangups here aren’t on field, they’re in the boardroom. Per Transfermarkt, Azaz is worth nine million Euros which comes out to about $9.37 million USD. While that number is in range, Azaz is one of Middlebrough’s best players. They sit seventh in the Championship table, meaning they’ve got an outside chance at playoffs and potential Premier League promotion.

Plus Middlesbrough just did a record deal with Atlanta United, sending leading scorer Emmanuel Latte Lath to MLS for 22.5 million Euros. That means not only are they flush with cash right now, there’s a chance they want to keep Azaz even more to maintain quality. In short: Middlesbrough might not have any desire to sell, and if they do the price will be higher than Dallas wants to pay. All the leverage is on the other side of the ocean.

There’s another scenario: with ELL gone, Middlesbrough just decides to cash out and bro down. Meaning Azaz could be had for his expected value or a smidge more. It doesn’t feel likely, but there’s plenty to like about the Irish international. Dallas would do well to try and bring Azaz in, but the hurdles are multiple. Maybe even too many for all but the most elite of MLS clubs.

Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake

While we can look outside MLS for options, it’s not required. Full credit to 3rd Degree’s Buzz Carrick for raising this option on his podcast a few weeks ago. It’s a good idea for many reasons. Luna doesn’t turn 22 until September, so he fits Dallas’ established timeline. He’s a US national, winning a CONCACAF U20 title during his tenure. He’s been more a winger with Real Salt Lake, but at 21 you’d think he could slide over with minimal issues. Here’s Luna’s scouting report:

A lot of green in all the right places means Moon Boy is clear for takeoff in Frisco. Transfermarkt has his value at around $6.24 million USD, which puts him well under what Dallas had been bidding for other players. RSL has been shedding players such as Chicho Arango and Gavin Beavers this off-season for good sized fees. Dallas might have to overpay a little within their conference, but that’s not the worst thing.

Luna already knows the league and under Quill’s tutelage could bloom into a high end attacker. He’s got the tenacity and fearlessness the new gaffer values, all with the possibility of returning value to the franchise down the road. If not, the worst case scenario is you have a quite good MLS regular for the next decade plus. It’s a win win.

Mikey Johnston, West Bromwich Albion

The Championship shows up again (and won’t be the last time either) with another in his prime Irish national team player. Johnston was born in Glasgow but represents Ireland. He debuted for Celtic at 17 before joining West Brom full-time this past August on a fee of 3.5 million Euros. While at Celtic the squad won six Scottish Premiership titles, four Scottish Cups, and three Scottish League Cups.

Not as dominant as the previous two players listed, but still quite good. He’s listed as a left winger by trade, but has played 10 before. There’s also an indication within Quill’s system that there’s some fluidity among those three attacking midfielders, but more data is required on that.

Johnston’s biggest appeal is price. He’s valued at around $3.12 million USD right now, meaning he’s well within budget range. It’s unclear how much ceiling there is on Johnston’s future; there’s a decent chance he wouldn’t be flipped one day for a high fee unless he became a Best XI type in MLS. You combine the pedigree with the price point however and he’s an appealing option for the Toros.

Ilias Chair, Queens Park Rangers

It turns out second division England is overrun with 10s that could fit in MLS, which is good for FC Dallas. There’s a specific part about Chair that fits the squad’s previous signing ethos, which is why he’s included. He’s 27, which is a bit older than we’ve been skewing in this piece. He hasn’t won a trophy in his England tenure yet. So far for QPR this season he’s got no goals and five assists, although that’s down from previous years. His scouting report isn’t as green as the rest:

It’s not a total disaster, just not as positive as we’ve seen from other players in this general vicinity. So what, dear readers, makes this player appealing?

You guessed it: money.

Chair’s contract runs out at the end of June, meaning he wouldn’t require a fee to join Dallas this summer. His current listed value is six million Euros, so there’s a real chance Dallas could let this season ride and sign Chair (or someone like him) when he’s out of contract.

There’s a history of this. Asier Illarramendi came in that way, Franco Jara infamously did also, and so did Eugene Ansah. One thing that could spur Dallas to action: QPR holds a one year club option on Chair. However with this being his worst performing season and QPR being mid-table his future seems uncertain.

Chair is the avatar for this type of move, one that would likely frustrate supporters in the short term. There’s a case for it though: If the team gets off to a good start, you’ll want to buttress it differently than if they play poorly out the gate. I wouldn’t blame Zanotta and company for taking a slightly longer view on this position considering the importance and financial outlay. How far along the team is now will be a heavy influence on what decisions they make going forward.

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