Minnesota United needs roster additions, and Loons sporting director Manny Lagos anticipates several players joining the Major League Soccer expansion franchise when the summer transfer window opens July 10.

“Expect a couple of moves, for sure, in the middle of summer to try to get the team stronger,” Lagos told the Pioneer Press on Tuesday.

On Wednesday night at TCF Bank Stadium, United plays the Portland Timbers — a team stacked with the max of three “designated players,” and others who used to be DPs. These designated players are the highest-paid ($480,000-plus) and often biggest-impact players on the field. Related Articles Loons midfielder Thomas Chacon’s quiet first start of 2020 could be his only one

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The Loons have zero DPs as they approach the halfway mark of their first MLS season. The front office’s aim has been balancing player development inside the club with deciding whether to fork over cash for higher-priced players, which might not fit the club’s long-term goals. The Loons first seek sustainability, then championships.

“That is a challenge because we have to make sure that we are really being smart in how we grow,” Lagos said. “There is a lot of nuance, details from the sporting side and, frankly, from the business side that have to be navigated.”

United coach Adrian Heath has hinted this season at one or two additions being in the works, but that number could grow to three or four.

The need for an influx of players increased with Tuesday’s announcement that starting left back Marc Burch had a sports hernia surgery and is estimated to be out 8-12 weeks.

“I think if we could bring one in all sort of areas — defending, midfield and attack, then we would probably like to do (that),” Heath said. “But we are actively looking at players in a few positions.”

United also must make a decision at goalkeeper. Backup John Alvbage’s loan from his Swedish club ends July 15, with the possibility of an 18-month extension through the 2018 season. United and Alvbage’s representatives have not yet communicated on a decision, a source said.

United remains engaged in contract discussions with Scottish winger Sam Nicholson, and they’re encouraged that deal can be ironed out. Nicholson, 22, would be considered an incremental roster improvement.

The Chicago Fire have made the biggest improvement of any MLS team this season. In 2016, the Fire finished 7-17-10, last in the Eastern Conference. They had David Accam as the club’s sole DP.

In 2017, they traded for midfielder Dax McCarty and acquired two DPs. Serbian Nemanja Nikolic arrived from Poland’s league, and German Bastian Schweinsteiger was added from Manchester United of the English Premier League. The Fire currently are second in the East at 9-3-4.

Heath has routinely said he isn’t trying to lobby owner Bill McGuire on adding DP, considering the $150 million private investment necessary for the stadium in St. Paul as well as current remodeling of the club’s training grounds at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

“I’m fully aware that we have an incredible amount of expenditure going out,” Heath said. “… I think the most important thing is that people realize the sort of situation that we are in.”

Come Wednesday night, the Timbers’ designated players — Fanendo Adi, Sebastian Blanco and Diego Valeri — could put the Loons in a bad situation with their attacking prowess. Then there is Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara, two players who had their contracts “bought down” below the DP level.

Lagos declined to provide a timeline for when the Loons could add their first designated player. “I don’t think we are 100 percent on a timeline,” he said.

But for other additions, Heath anticipates transaction talks within MLS to heat up over the next 10 days.

“We are in that next stage where people are looking at that next window,” Heath said. “If they bring in people from abroad, they might have to move people out from their own roster, so we might be in the same boat. I’m really optimistic that we can down the road. There are going to be new additions that can help the team we’ve got.”