MLS summer transfer tiers: Robert Lewandowski has Chicago Fire sitting pretty, Casemiro gamble leaves Inter Miami in trouble

Nashville SC - Could it get any better for Nashville? They got their business done this offseason, with their signing of Cristian Espinoza being the headliner, and have been firing on all cylinders. There are some natural concerns as to what happens if Sam Surridge picks up an injury, but Warren Madrigal has chipped in as a reserve center forward.

FC Cincinnati (as long as Kevin Denkey stays) - It was touch-and-go for Cincy for a while. Foreign interest in Denkey is well documented, and it would not be an immense surprise to see him depart this winter. They have no premium roster spots available, either, and seem ready to kick on.

San Jose Earthquakes- San Jose filled a gap in midfield by getting Eduard Lowen from St. Louis CITY. There are still some flaws here - San Jose are too leaky. But with Lowen adding a little control and Niko Tsakiris doing his thing, with Timo Werner out wide, San Jose are well set up.

Chicago Fire - It was a bit of a give-and-take for Chicago. They got Robert Lewandowski, but missed out on Leon Goretzka. There are strong links to defensive midfielder Anzor Mekvabishvili. But that would be a sweetener, not a game changer.

Houston Dynamo - Did anyone have a better offseason than Houston? A front office that is usually so frugal went out and spent, and the results have been clear, with the Dynamo pushing toward the top of the West. Marcelo Saracchi’s arrival at left back gives them another experienced piece. Nothing urgent to do here.

LAFC - LAFC seem like they're a piece away. Things aren't quite clicking under manager Marc Dos Santos, but they remain in the MLS Cup conversation. An acquisition of an international roster spot, though, suggests that they are in the market for someone to chip in for the final few months of the season.

New England Revolution - The Revs did well by signing Jack Harrison and holding on to Luca Langoni amid interest from Montreal. A center back certainly wouldn't hurt if they're looking to make a serious push this year.

Charlotte FC - Allan Saint-Maximin, signed as a DP in July, was their big arrival of the summer. The fun link? Paul Pogba, who is in search of a new team after seeing his Monaco contract end.

New York Red Bulls - The fans aren't happy, but the Red Bulls have always been about backing the youth, and it would be a surprise to see them make any big signings that block anyone's path to consistent minutes. RBNY are a fun team who bleed goals. A center back would do them a world of good. Otherwise, though, this would seem to be a quiet end to the window.

Vancouver Whitecaps - How do you replace Sebastian Berhalter? Not easily, but Vancouver have been busy. Kwasi Poku, Emrick Fotsing, Sebastián Ramírez and U22 signing Aleksa Cvetković represent a future-facing response. One more proven addition would leave the West leaders in a strong position.

Colorado Rapids - Colorado made big money from Lucas Herrington, who they flipped to Hull City for a club record fee of $24 million. They have responded by reportedly investing in Israeli international Sayed Abu Farkhi, and are eager to bring in another winger. Extra attacking quality is badly needed for Matt Wells' progressive system

New York City FC - Same as it ever was. NYCFC need a star. Nico Fernandez is heavily linked with a move away, and it would not be a surprise to see him depart. The Christian Pulisic links will die down for now, but NYCFC will be in search of a reason to get butts in seats at Etihad Park.

San Diego FC - SDFC have quality, no doubt, but have suffered heavily due to their interest in being a bit too cute with the ball. They don't have a DP slot open, but have ambitious ownership. A big signing would not go amiss.

LA Galaxy - The Galaxy have at least acted. After landing Chucky Lozano on loan, they added Sergi Roberto and Kyogo Furuhashi in a late burst of business. Whether that trio can replace Gabriel Pec’s production and rescue a season in which LA have yet to win back-to-back league games is another question.

FC Dallas - They need a No.10. Badly. That's pretty much it.

St. Louis CITY - The great irony of St. Louis' current winning streak is the fact that they keep losing talent. Seeing Marcel Hartel and Lowen depart in the same window without any major acquisitions to replace them really stings.

Portland Timbers - The money for Kevin Kelsy, a cool $13 million, was too good to turn down. They have room for four Under-22 players, which is nice, but it would be an immense surprise to see them make any serious moves at this point.

Seattle Sounders - The signing of Dejan Joveljić was wonderful business. But there are so many other issues here, from central midfield to both wing spots. Manager Brian Schmetzer has complained about the injury issues plaguing his squad, and there are loads of them.

Inter Miami - Where to start? Inter Miami got it wrong by bringing in Casemiro. There are plenty of other flaws here that aren't addressed, chief among them central midfield and left back. The bad news? They don't have the money to spend.

Real Salt Lake - Try replacing Zavier Gozo. The winger was immense for RSL all season, and carried an otherwise struggling attack. They seem devoid of ideas without him. There are serious concerns about the form of Diego Luna, too, who has just eight goal contributions this season.

Sporting KC - David Lee, you absolute madman. The general manager promised an overhaul last winter and has delivered, albeit a little belatedly. Sporting shattered their club transfer record to sign Brazilian winger André Luiz for a reported $18 million-plus, added Moisés Mosquera and then acquired Owen Wolff from Austin. Selling Dejan Joveljić stings, but it also opened another DP spot, and the talk is that SKC are not finished yet. Watch this space.

Atlanta United - Breel Embolo is a fine replacement for the struggling Emmanuel Latte Lath. Meanwhile, a tidy run of three wins on the trot has them back in playoff contention, somehow.

Philadelphia Union - The new manager bounce is real. Ryan Richter has basically got a bunch of interesting players, and he is letting them play football. Kai Wagner's return is huge, too. It's a shame that Mark McKenzie won't arrive until the winter. Otherwise, these guys might be in business.

Orlando City - Griezmann and Daryl Dike. Sometimes that's all you need.

Minnesota United - Maurice Malone might help with some of the attacking load. They badly need it, too. Only three teams in the West have scored fewer goals than the Loons.

Austin FC - Well, we've reached house-cleaning season. Austin got rid of their manager and CSO. They have also parted ways with Wolff, Jayden Nelson and CJ Fodrey. The youth movement is in full effect for Austin, who seem happy to ride the season out.

Columbus Crew - Losing a club-defining manager, seeing their No. 9 tear his ACL and then transferring Max Arfsten left Columbus with major holes. But the Crew have responded, signing Brais Méndez for a reported fee of nearly $7 million, adding Gonzalo Tapia on loan and bringing in Eric Bailly and Josef Martínez. That may not be enough to rescue a team sitting bottom of the East, but it is far more than a token response.

Toronto FC - Toronto are technically still in the playoff hunt, but there's not loads to get excited about here. Josh Sargent has not panned out so far, and Niklas Dorsch managed just three games before picking up an injury.

D.C. United - You could have called it. Tai Baribo has hit double-digit goals, and DC are too good to be as woeful as last year. But they need more attacking help after letting Jacob Murrell go. A center mid should also be a priority here. But there are too many issues to count.

CF Montréal - Alexis Sánchez should bring some life, while Dani Pereira and Brayan Ceballos add needed MLS experience. Prince Owusu has been sneaky good, too. Even so, Montréal sit 14th in the East, and their third-lowest payroll still shows.