Minnesota United FC coach Eric Ramsay makes a call for more as MLS transfer window opens

Minnesota United enters the summer transfer window, which opened Thursday, still in the running for four trophies this season.

The Supporters’ Shield, given to the leaguewide regular-season winner, might be the tallest order, given that Minnesota sits in eighth place. But a defensively oriented team will always have a chance come tournament time, meaning the Loons — who are in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, start play in the Leagues Cup next week and are all but certain to make the MLS Cup playoffs at the end of the year — might be better positioned than most teams for trophy potential.

To coach Eric Ramsay, it’s a clear sign it’s time for the Loons to add, not subtract. “We’ve got a lot of room to improve, and we’re obviously well-positioned to do so at the moment,” he said. “We’ve got ourselves to a point where we’re competing across a number of competitions, and we want to make sure that we look back at the end of the season with no regrets as to how we left the squad and the amount of energy and resources we put into recruiting players.”

One issue is that the team’s depth is suddenly looking pretty thin.

Minnesota sold Sang Bin Jeong and has loaned out Devin Padelford, Sam Shashoua and Wessel Speel. The squad was already small, but the moves have left the Loons with just 21 players signed to first-team contracts — in a league where matchday rosters consist of 20 players.

Saturday against St. Louis, when Nicolás Romero and Joaquín Pereyra are suspended because of yellow card accumulation, the Loons will have only 19 first-team players available, several of whom have played very little.

“We’re, obviously, lighter than we were a couple of weeks ago,” Ramsay said. “I think we’re now at a point where, obviously, it’s a real necessity.”

While it’s also true that the three keep themselves in laudable, exceptional shape, there’s no way El-Ahmad hasn’t considered the future in all three of their positions.

The Loons also have contracts to think about, specifically in goal, where Dayne St. Clair can become a free agent after the season. The team’s All-Star keeper would have suitors on the open market, and given that he has yet to sign any extension offered, he might be inclined to test the waters in free agency.

Breakout left wingback Anthony Markanich and injured central midfielder Hassani Dotson also have expiring contracts and, at 25 and soon-to-be 28, are still close to peak age.

Minnesota United seems a bit thin in other places. Lod and Pereyra are the only attacking midfielders left on the team, part of the reason the Loons have been playing Tani Oluwaseyi in a hybrid role. And Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah are the only proven forwards in the squad; beyond them are Loïc Mesanvi (21, and mostly playing for MNUFC2 this year) and Darius Randell (17, and the same).

Right wingback, which has been something of a rotating door over the past two years, again looks a little wobbly. The Loons seem to be wavering on playing Bongokuhle Hlongwane there and have started Julian Gressel there instead of Hlongwane in 10 of the past 12 games. But Gressel, too, doesn’t seem comfortable as a defender in Minnesota’s system and might be better served playing farther forward.

Roster flexibility won’t be an issue for El-Ahmad, who has cap space and money to burn, plus the added availability of under-22 spots and — if necessary — a designated player spot or two.

Last summer, El-Ahmad pulled off a top-notch transfer window, recruiting three immediate starters — Pereyra, Yeboah and Jefferson Díaz — and stealing Markanich from St. Louis City for very little.