Crew coach Caleb Porter talked at length throughout his first season with the club about building the roster to have two starting-caliber players at each position. He feels like the team is at that point.

Still, there’s room to add at the wing position, and Porter and club president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko have signaled that the team is not done adding international players before the season.

"I would expect other signings, for sure,” Porter said. “We're always going to sign players. We're never going to stand pat. We're always going to improve.”

Neither Bezbatchenko nor Porter specified which positions they’re targeting.

This offseason, the Crew has made some splashy moves by adding three prospective starters in midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Lucas Zelarayan, and center back Vito Wormgoor.

The Crew could comfortably open the season with its current roster, but there seems to be a drive to add more talent before the season begins March 1 against New York City FC at Mapfre Stadium.

“We feel like we're in a very good position,” Bezbatchenko said. “We're always looking to improve. We want competition at every position.”

The Crew has three wing midfielders on its roster. Pedro Santos can play the left or right wing, or plug into the central attacking midfield position when needed. But with Luis Diaz on the right wing, it’s likely Santos starts on the left, with Youness Mokhtar as the second option.

After bulking up the wings in the summer transfer window last season, the Crew had a clear rotation at those two positions with four players. There has been no public indication the Crew is adding another wing midfielder before the season, but the club isn’t done dipping into the international market this offseason and wing is the position in most need of depth.

"I feel like in every position, we're pretty close to having what I feel is 22 starters that can play in any game and get the job done, which creates a nice culture, good competition,” Porter said. “Will there be more moves? I wouldn't count it out.”

Stadium update

Crew chief business officer Steve Lyons said construction of the club’s downtown stadium is on schedule to open in July 2021. In a video released by the club, Turner Construction vice president and general manager Brian Mooney said people can start to see the structure of the stadium beginning in April.

As for the Crew’s Experience Center at 881 N. High St. in the Short North, the club is aiming to have some type of event at the location leading up to the season opener and have the space open in the spring.

Homegrowns on the way

In front of fans at a draft event hosted by the club Thursday, Bezbatchenko teased a couple of signings of players from the Crew Academy to the senior roster before the season starts

Reports have indicated that Indiana midfielder Aidan Morris, 18, will sign with the Crew. Last month, Bezbatchenko floated Morris and Sebastian Berhalter as homegrown players the club was debating if they were ready for the professional level.

“We’re really excited about some of the players that we’re hoping to sign over the next couple weeks,” Bezbatchenko said. “Nothing official to announce today (Thursday), but we feel like the players we’re planning on signings would be top-10 picks in the draft, no doubt.”

Milton Valenzuela will play in preseason

Crew left back Milton Valenzuela missed the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL he suffered in preseason training. Porter said Valenzuela will be playing at the start of preseason, but it will take him some time to return to form after not playing for an entire year.

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