MLS Preseason Power Rankings: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami show cause for concern, LA Galaxy remain team to beat, newcomers San Diego FC impress

Someway, somehow, Lorenzo Insigne is still a TFC player. They haven't used an offseason buyout, and they didn't transfer him away from the club in January. This ultimately has to mean they're planning around him in 2025 -- which does not feel like a smart choice.

Factor in their incredibly poor campaign last season, and their lack of transfer business this offseason, and there is just nothing to be excited about.

The club brought in Robin Fraser to lead their touchline as their new manager after the departure of John Herdman in November, and even then, it just doesn't move the needle.

D.C. offloaded Matai Akinmboni to Bournemouth in the Premier League, which is a brilliant move for both the club and the U.S. youth international. However, when the only positive around your club over the offseason is selling a player abroad, that's not great.

The club also, someway, somehow, managed to offload DP Mateusz Klich to Atlanta United on a season-long loan, but they're still paying his salary in a scenario that does not make any sense whatsoever for them.

READ MORE: D.C. United aim to build sustainable team around Christian Benteke

Reports surfaced earlier this week that they're also moving on from bright homegrown prospect Ted Ku-DiPietro, who was a fan favorite.

Not the best outlook for a storied franchise.

FC Dallas had a selling offseason. They made a lot of money in that sense, which is great from a club standpoint. Offloading Alan Velasco, Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola for nearly $15 million is stellar business -- however, there's a rule in sports where if you get rid of players, you should probably replace them.

And, well, FCD have yet to do that.

They brought in Anderson Julio from RSL, and that's a rather similar body to Arriola, so we can give them that -- but not much else has happened. It's going to be incredibly hard to compete if they don't find replacements for Ferreira and Velasco soon, while star forward Petar Musa's production will likely go down too without support as well.

Getting rid of Jim Curtin still feels like a very, very poor move.

Since his departure, Philly has appointed former St. Louis CITY SC manager Bradley Carnell, but they've relatively failed to bolster their roster after an incredibly poor 2024.

They signed Serbian midfielder Jovan Lukic to a multi-year contract and brought in defender Ian Glavinovich on a season-long loan, but other than that, their under-performing XI from 2024 is set to return in a few weeks time.

Factor in the club also sold U.S. international Jack McGlynn to the Houston Dynamo, and they're down another body. The positive spin, though, is they earned up to $3.4M for his services, which is brilliant considering it's pure profit due to his Homegrown status.

The first full year under B.J. Callaghan is now just weeks away, and there should be excitement simply due to that. He showed glimpses as a manager last year, but a rather poorly constructed roster let him down at times, while individuals underperformed, too.

Hany Mukhtar should, theoretically, have a better 2025, and the club brought in 2024 MLS Cup MVP Gaston Brugman from the LA Galaxy to pair with him, too. It's solid business, although Brugman was incredibly inconsistent last season in LA.

They've made some solid smaller signings this offseason, highlighted by bringing in MLS veteran Andy Najar, too. However, their core remains unproven. Until they start to show results, not much will change in how they are viewed.

CITY were MLS' most disappointing team in 2024, there's no other way to phrase it. There were bright moments towards the end of the season, but overall, it was a bleak and bland year; a proper sophomore slump.

Year 3 presents them with opportunity, though. They have a lot of pieces, like Indi Vassilev, Joao Klauss, Eduard Lowen, and Marcel Hartel who should, theoretically, lead them toward the top this year. Led by MLS newcomer Olof Mellberg, there's still a lot of uncertainty around both him and the club, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into the new season.

It's hard to judge SDFC without a competitive game under their belt, but some of their signings ahead of their inaugural season have really impressed. Bringing in Mexico superstar Chucky Lozano, as well as U.S. international Luca De La Torre, is both fun and impressive from a signing standpoint.

There are a few familiar faces on the roster too, with former Inter Miami defender Franco Negri in the team, and MLS journeyman Emmanuel Boateng, too.

However, they still need to build out their roster further. Their lack of depth is concerning heading into the year.

Sporting disappointed in 2024, but it was a trend that was relatively consistent in recent years. They made it the the U.S. Open Cup final, but missed out on the postseason while showing glimpses throughout the year.

However, there's a positive spin heading into 2025.

They managed to sell striker Alan Pulido for a reported $1.5M to Chivas, and they turned that around and threw $4M at the LA Galaxy for star striker Dejan Joveljic. It was an impressive and bold trade, and if it pays off, it will pay off in dividends.

Expectations aren't sky-high for Peter Vermes' side in 2025, but missing the playoffs again would be unacceptable.

Are the Fire back?

Well, they might be. Appointing Gregg Berhalter as manager was a good start -- regardless of opinion on his tenure as USMNT manager. The former U.S. boss should be able to bring them back to competing in the East, and that's all you can ask for in year one under his leadership.

Their offseason pursuit of Brazil star Neymar was ambitious, and that alone was worth highlighting this offseason.

Even without the Selecao star, it's been an impressive offseason in terms of transfers, too. They signed Ivory Coast international Jonathan Bamba as a new DP alongside star striker Hugo Cuypers and USMNT prospect Brian Gutierrez. All-in-all, things with the Fire feel like they are on the way up.

NYCFC won't be pushing towards the top of MLS unless they make some serious moves on the transfer market. As things stand, their attack is not good enough, and they lost their most reliable midfielder in James Sands to a six-month loan to Germany -- with a chance of it being extended even longer.

What happened to the days of ambition when Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, and David Villa repped the club crest?

The Whitecaps have had an active offseason, but a quiet one; which is arguably a good thing for them.

They'll have a new manager in Jesper Sorensen leading the touchline, with a slightly different look on the field. They offloaded midfielder Stuart Armstrong, while bringing in Canada international Jayden Nelson, while reports have surfaced that former U.S. international Emmanuel Sabbi could be on his way to the club, too.

There haven't been any blockbuster moves, but it's been a solid couple of months,

Come 2025, expectations will be the playoffs at minimum.

Manager Caleb Porter cleaned house this offseason. They declined contract options on six players, and let contracts run out on five others -- including both Dylan Borrero and Tim Parker.

In terms of incomings, they added MLS veterans Wyatt Omsberg, Jackson Yeuill, and Maxi Urruti through free agency (among others) while their big blockbuster move of the offseason was bringing in Leonardo Campana from Inter Miami for a reported $2.5M fee.

Overall, it feels like the positives outweigh the negatives for the Revs, after a shockingly poor 2024 season.

Oy, San Jose. This is fun.

Legendary U.S. and MLS manager Bruce Arena has joined in what could be his last hurrah, aiming to reinvent the 2024 Wooden Spoon winners. So far? He’s doing a damn good job of it.

To start, they brought in one of MLS' best strikers Chicho Arango for a cut-deal price of just $1.5M. MLS veterans Josef Martinez, Ian Harkes, Mark Anthony-Kaye, Earl Edwards Jr., and Dave Romney were all brought in, too.

It's been a really good offseason for the Quakes, and the vibes are higher than ever.

With CF MTL, it's not about what they've done this offseason, more so, it's building off 2024 momentum.

Caden Clark should arguably be one of the best domestic midfielders in 2025, if stats are anything to lean on, while Giacomo Vrioni - whom they acquired from the Revs - should be a top striker.

Hennadii Synchuk, meanwhile, is their latest blockbuster signing. costing nearly $5M, the 18-year-old Ukrainian prospect joined via U-22 initiative and will look to make an impact with the rest of their young core.

The Timbers have yet to deal Evander away from the club, despite the Brazilian wanting out. That's not ideal, considering the season is just a few weeks away and your entire 2024 campaign was essentially built around him. However, manager Phil Neville has hinted that a "resolution" could be found soon between the two parties.

Once that happens, Portland will have the ability to move their roster around a bit more. Expectations are that they bring in at least one more defender, on top of already adding midfielder Joao Ortiz, winger Jimer Fory, and forward Kevin Kelsy.

If the Timbers can't bolster their leaky defense ahead of 2025, though, it could lead to another repeat of an elite attack being hindered by a poor backline.

Colorado has been busy this offseason, but it's hard to see where all the pieces are being put into place. Still, though, Chris Armas' first year in charge in 2024 was so positive that you have to just trust the vision at the moment.

READ MORE: Mihailovic shares reasons why he joined Rapids in 2024 and ambitions for 2025

Rumors swirl of the Ted Ku-DiPietro deal, and that transfer will follow the acquisition of FCC defenders Chidozie Awaziem and Ian Murphy.

Heading into 2025, if Armas can get everything to click, the Rapids could surprise a lot of teams in the West.

Austin went big and bold this offseason, and now, expectations are higher than they have arguably ever been.

Brandon Vazquez should solve a lot of their attacking issues. It's a great move for both the U.S. international and Austin -- as long as they get him service. Their initial transfer record player, Vazquez was purchased for $10M from CF Monterrey in Mexico, but the Verde weren't done there.

They followed it up with the addition of Myrto Uzuni from La Liga, spending a new club-record fee of $12.3M for the 29-year-old winger.

A rebuilt attack should help heading into the 2025 season, but there are still a few looming questions about their latest managerial appointment in Nico Estevez. If things work out, though, it could be the biggest win for the club yet.

Houston, we have a problem. The Jack McGlynn signing is almost too perfect, and it could be a terrible move at the same time.

The Dynamo splashed the cash this past week, bringing the U.S. international over from Philadelphia, where he should hypothetically be a great midfielder in Ben Olsen's system. A top-tier replacement for Hector Herrera as well, it's a great move for all parties if he grows into the player that he could potentially be.

Next up, though, they need to find a replacement for Adalberto Carrasquilla at the No. 10 position, or McGlynn's transfer becomes pointless. If they can make that happen, things could be bright for Houston.

Expectations will be high for club-record signing Ezequiel Ponce in Year 2, as well.

RSL. Where to start?

They took a $4.5M loss on Arango, 18 months after bringing him in from Pachica for $6M. They followed it up by selling veteran Matty Crooks to English Championship side Hull City, and now? Their attack has a lot of holes.

Expectations will be high for Diego Luna, especially after a brilliant January camp with the USMNT, while summer additions Diogo Goncalves and Dominik Marczuk will look to have breakout seasons after a brief adaptation period to the league last fall.

Overall though, RSL just feels like they're slowly riding a bike down a hill that just never goes back up. The inspiration behind their transfer moves is lackluster, and there's not a lot of positivity coming from their fans right now. It's bland, and they're stagnating.

Orlando City are in an interesting place. They've made some big moves in the transfer market, but it's hard to see where they will fit.

Losing star attacker Facundo Torres to Palmeiras is a bigger deal than most realize. Without him, manager Oscar Pareja will have to reinvent his attack and create a new strategy in the final third of the pitch.

Yet, this could be the turn of the page they needed. Croatian winger Marco Pasalic joined as a Designated Player, while they bolstered their wing depth with the signing of 20-year-old attacker Nicolas Rodriguez, too.

The biggest questions that now loom, though, are in the attack. Is it two strikers? Who starts, Duncan McGuire, Luis Muriel, or Ramiro Enrique? If they can figure out their striker situation, they should be able to navigate the start of the season.

The Loons have quietly had a good offseason, but more importantly, a smart one.

They got Teemu Pukki off their books, opening up a potential DP spot, while offloading the likes of Franco Fragapane, Matus Kmet, Micky Tapias and Ethan Bristow, too.

They've been smart in the transfer market, spending in places where growth was obviously needed. They've brought in 21-year-old Argentine defender Nicolas Romero as a U-22 initiative signing while also bringing in former K-League Young Player of the Year in 2023 Hoyeon Jung from South Korea. They're also expected to add France youth international Owen Gene for a reported $2M fee ahead of the season as well.

It's Year 2 for Eric Ramsay as a head coach, and after an impressive year one, expectations are higher. Let's see if he can meet them.

FCC feel like a time bomb, preparing to explode, except nobody knows where the clock is and nobody knows when it will go off.

Lucho Acosta wants out, and as a result, their best player is about to depart the club. They also lost forward Kevin Kelsy to the Timbers, while Brazilian side Santos secured a loan signing of versatile midfielder/defender Alvaro Barreal. Meanwhile, Luca Orellano has yet to play in preseason due to a contract dispute. Things just aren't that positive right now.

Pat Noonan is still an elite manager, and overall, their roster is still really good - especially with the addition of Kevin Denkey. However, all good things eventually come to an end, and it feels like this might be the end of a brief period of being at the top with MLS' elite for FCC.

Two words: Wilfried Zaha.

Simply put, it's a blockbuster. Well done to the club, well done to MLS, well done to everyone involved. He is immediately one of the league's most talented players.

Expectations will be also high for USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang in 2025, too, as he looks to build on his impressive January camp for the program. In addition, young French defender Adilson Malanda will look to build on a remarkable 2024 season, as he attracts interest abroad heading into the summer.

Overall, Charlotte is on the rise. The league should be on the lookout, something special is building here.

If there is one thing the world has learned about the Columbus Crew, it's that you just have to trust Wilfried Nancy. The Frenchman has impressed in nearly every single situation possible, under immense pressure, too.

However, come 2025, he will be without star attacker Cucho Hernandez, and will reportedly be without striker Christian Ramirez, as well.

That leaves him a major hole to fill ahead of the 2025 MLS season. The Crew need to pick up the phone immediately and figure out who their next forward will be if they want to compete amongst MLS' elite this year.

Figuring out where LAFC sit is a tough one. They sold forward Mateusz Bogusz for nearly $10M to Cruz Azul, which ultimately means they are putting all of their marbles into trusting Olivier Giroud. That's not a bad thing, but it's definitely bold.

They also lost midfielder Eduard Atuesta but replaced him with Brazilian Igor Jesus, whom they paid a reported $4M for.

Overall, the Black and Gold have been responsible this window, however, if they don't bring in another elite attacking player, things could go south if Giroud doesn't start scoring.

RBNY' run to MLS Cup 2024 was so impressive. They defeated adversity and proved doubters wrong in the process.

Now, they can't let that feeling fade away.

They lost star defender John Tolkin to the German Bundesliga, where he signed with Holstein Kiel, and they also moved on from forward Dante Vanzeir. So what's next?
Well, first things first, they brought in striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on a DP contract, and he's expected to lead their line in 2025. Defensively, they added MLS veteran and former USMNT central defender Tim Parker, too. Tolkin's replacement will be Chilean Marcelo Morales, who arrived from Club Universidad de Chile.

There are rumors of potentially signing Timo Werner, but for now, they've essentially replaced their outgoings, and not much else has changed. It just comes down to them now replicating the end of their 2024 season, to meet expectations that are now being placed upon them.

Miami is tough to judge. It has made so many transfers and had so many outgoings this offseason that predicting an XI feels pretty impossible at the moment.

The positives? They've brought in defensive reinforcements -- the most needed move above all else. However, there's a severe lack of MLS experience with any of their new players; the adaptation period will be interesting to watch as a result.

The one negative is that there is so much uncertainty around everything.

Will Javier Mascherano be a good manager? Will Luis Suarez's knees hold up? Can Fafa Picault replicate Diego Gomez's performances, or will his departure to Brighton ultimately doom their attack?

Too many questions, too little answers.

Seattle made its moves swiftly this offseason, in typical Brian Schmetzer fashion. They brought in U.S. internationals Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola from FC Dallas, both of whom will immediately bolster their attack.

Both have shown versatility throughout their careers, too, which ultimately makes them a perfect fit in Seattle.

Perhaps there is another move still on the cards there that will turn some heads, but overall, Seattle is improved -- and that is a scary thought for any MLS team in 2025.

Call it bold, call it brave, but Atlanta is the offseason winner in MLS in 2025. Not one team has been as ambitious in the transfer market as them, with both Almiron and Latte-Lath joining to give them a brand-new attack. What might be the most impressive signing in the club though, is off the pitch.

They brought in former MLS Cup-winning manager Ronny Deila, while also stealing Chris Henderson from Inter Miami to name him their Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director.

They've done everything right ahead of the upcoming campaign -- now it's just seeing how all the puzzle pieces fit.

The champs retain their throne. This year's Cup is theirs to lose, and they're showing no signs of it slipping ahead of the season.

Sure, they lost Joveljic to SKC, but they're reportedly set to replace him with Columbus Crew forward Christian Ramirez, which is stellar business for a stop-gap forward until you figure out your next big-name forward in that spot.

LA is back, and it is here to stay. Expectations are the highest they've been since the era of David Beckham, now, though. Can they live up to them? Or will they crack under pressure? It's the biggest question around the club.