Transfer season is well and truly underway in the Canadian Premier League, with some of the league’s highest-profile free agents finding new homes as clubs start to take shape for 2025.

With so much turnover for many of the teams, however, there are still a number of questions to be answered regarding the squads for all eight clubs heading into this season.

Here is a position of need where each club could use a solid signing heading into the 2025 season:

Atlético Ottawa: A left-back replacement

While a lot of the core pieces of their 2024 squad are confirmed to be coming back for 2025, there are three especially notable departures for Atleti so far this off-season: leading scorer Rubén Del Campo, former Player of the Year Ollie Bassett, and fullback Matteo de Brienne.

Atlético Ottawa are likely to bring in some more attacking options for 2025, but do already have a decent complement of players who can potentially step up and fill Del Campo’s shoes, including Sam Salter (who finished fifth in the league in goals per 90, with 0.5), Ballou Tabla and Kevin Dos Santos. Where they are now entirely lacking options is at left-back, where the departure of the electrifying de Brienne (not to mention the retirement of Maxim Tissot) leaves a significant hole.

What type of left-back they do bring in will likely have a lot to do with their new coach’s tactical philosophy, be that one who is more of a traditional defender, or a marauding player who can get further forward and support the attack. With the roster they have already assembled, and the way this club has stated they want to play, the preference would probably be toward the latter, a player who is good on the ball and can get up and down the lines to contribute offensively.

Cavalry FC: A target man striker

For a Cavalry team that scored the third most goals in the CPL last season, and had the Golden Boot winner in Tobias Warschewski, adding more attackers might not jump out as being at the top of the list. But with at least 11 players from their North Star Cup-winning core returning next season, and a further eight under club option, they can afford to go for a bit more of a luxury signing, especially as they enter the Concacaf Champions Cup once again.

While Warschewski is absolutely lethal in front of goal, and great at creating chances for others, he isn’t exactly the most traditional number nine with his movement and positioning. What would perhaps benefit Cavalry is another signing who could lead the line and stretch opposing backlines as well as holding up the ball, creating more pockets of space for the German and other Cavalry attackers to operate.

Lowell Wright, who at 21 will be back for next season, certainly remains a good fit in this role and Cavalry will be hoping he can take another step forward in 2025. But having a more experienced option who can play off of Warschewski, Sergio Camargo, and Cavalry’s other attacking options would go a long way toward this team reaching its next level.

Forge FC: Another central defender

The Hammers remain one of the most difficult clubs to gauge in terms of a shopping list because it isn’t exactly clear yet how many of their key players will be back for 2025. All three of their 2024 Player of the Year nominees, winner Tristan Borges, captain Kyle Bekker and Alessandro Hojabrpour, remain unsigned. If one, or all, of those players aren’t coming back for 2025 their roster needs could change quickly.

They have already addressed their most glaring need with the signing of 2024 Players’ Player of the Year Brian Wright, who will give them a more reliable threat at the number nine position.

One key player who won’t be returning this year, however, is Garven Metusala who recently signed with USL Championship winners Colorado Switchbacks. A regular starter for the CPL’s regular season champs in the centre of defence this past year, the team will certainly need more depth in this position. This is especially true as the experienced Dom Samuel also announced his departure.

Forge does have a high-quality ready-made replacement for Metusala in 22-year-old Malik Owolabi-Belewu, whose contract option the club has picked up for 2025. But they will want at least one, if not more, quality defensive options to complement Owolabi-Belewu and Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson.

Halifax Wanderers: A dynamic fullback 

After a year in which high expectations were ultimately unmet by a Wanderers team that was the first in the league to be eliminated from playoff contention, it will be an intriguing retool out east. The club has already said goodbye to some core members of the past few years, including goalkeeper Yann Fillion, defenders Dan Nimick, Cale Loughrey and Zach Fernandez, and midfielder Aidan Daniels.

They have already addressed two of those needs in impressive fashion, with Rayane Yesli replacing Fillion in goal, and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère joining a solid contingent in the centre of defence. Their fullback depth remains a question. Halifax did pick up the option on Wesley Timoteo, so they have at least one of their left-sided options sorted.

But the depth beyond that is minimal, particularly on the right side where Zach Fernandez has been such a key player for them over the past three campaigns. With the possession-first brand of attacking football which the club has played over the past few years, signing a right-back with a similar ability to get forward and create chances will be crucial for the Maritime side.

Pacific FC: Quality finisher at the number nine 

Pacific FC’s off-season priority is pretty obvious from the outside: adding more goals. The team has taken pride over the years in being one of the best attacking sides in the league, so the fact that they scored the fewest in 2024, just 27 in 28 regular season matches before being shut out in the playoffs by York United, won’t sit well.

Their attack did improve significantly over the back half of the season when they acquired a prolific striker, Moses Dyer from rivals Vancouver FC. They actually finished the year with the fourth-most expected goals in the league at 33.4, so clearly the chance creation isn’t the biggest issue; it is having someone who can be ruthless in front of goal.

The Tridents have already added some new attacking options for 2025 with Aidan Daniels joining from Halifax, and former York United attacker Ronan Kratt giving them a solid threat at right wing. But with Dyer’s future uncertain, having a proven goalscorer who can lead the line in 2025 is a crucial target for Pacific FC’s success in 2025.

Valour FC: An exciting attacking midfielder 

During the second half of the 2024 season, in which only regular season winners Forge and playoff champions Cavalry collected more points, Valour proved they were building a solid core of players. Attackers like Shaan Hundal and Jordan Faria proved their ability to create chances and score, while a solid midfield core of Dante Campbell, Raphael Ohin, Diogo Ressurreição and Safwane Mlah has helped stabilize the centre of the park for the Winnipeggers.

But what the club is perhaps missing is someone in the middle to connect all of that together. Valour are looking for an attacking midfielder this season who can perhaps progress the ball a little bit more and give the team more creativity in the final third. They have perhaps been missing this profile since 2022 Best Canadian U-21 Player Sean Rea departed following that season — one during which he set a league record for most assists in a single campaign with nine.

Valour could potentially use Kian Williams in a more central role, depending on how he recovers from an injury that kept him out for the entire 2024 campaign. But there will be an appetite to add more attacking flair to a team that has always defended well, but has struggled to get the goals required to get above the playoff line.

Vancouver FC: An experienced central defender

A season that began with so much optimism, and some impressive results, for Vancouver went off the rails largely due to their struggles defensively. Addressing that in the form of adding more leadership and experience to their backline will be at the top of their wishlist this off-season.

Evidently, the group has had the luxury of having one of the best and most experienced goalkeepers in the Canadian Premier League in Callum Irving — who was nominated for the CPL’s Golden Glove again this year. He has been both crucial to their organization across the back and bailing them out when that organization breaks down.

But after two seasons, and 93 goals shipped, Irving could definitely use some experienced help at centre-back in terms of organizing the team defensively. There are a few solid names who could test CPL free agency this season who have been in the league for some time that might interest the Eagles, or they could potentially look abroad for a player with a solid resume of professional experience. But after trying a number of younger and inexperienced players the last few years at centre-back, the need for someone at the back who has a significant number of professional games under their belt has never been more clear.

York United FC: A number nine

There is expected to be a pretty significant amount of turnover with the York United squad this off-season as they begin the Mauro Eustáquio era, so several areas of the squad will need some work this coming season as the team reshapes itself under a new gaffer.

But with the announcement that 2024 CPL Players’ Player of the Year Brian Wright is joining rivals Forge FC, the Nine Stripes will be desperate to replace their leading goalscorer in 2024 with another striker who can contribute some of the goals that have departed. That player doesn’t necessarily have to be the same profile as Wright, but does need to be capable of leading the line and providing a consistent goal threat.

At the end of the day, attackers will always be the ones that earn the headlines. If York want to build off, and even surpass, the best season in club history which they undoubtedly enjoyed in 2024 then a marquee number nine signing would be one of the biggest factors in making that happen.