Houston Dynamo potential transfer targets: Goalkeepers

It is just a matter of time until the Houston Dynamo announce their year-end roster moves ahead of the 2023 MLS season. The squad will have some holes in each position group to be filled during both winter off-season as well as the summer transfer window. Today, we will go over some potential candidates that could strengthen the goalkeeper group.

Goalkeepers

Let me start by saying that Steve Clark is poised to be the starting goalkeeper for the Dynamo, unless something radical happens before the start of the season. Clark was brought in to be a key component of general manager Pat Onstad’s project of getting Houston back to its winning ways. Clearly, there is still a lot of work to be done, but Steve put up some great performances each match making him a top 10 goalkeeper in the league. When the season gets going next year, Clark will be 37 years old. Yes, we know goalies can play to almost 50, but can you rely on a veteran to perform at a high level and be the keeper for the future that lies ahead in Houston? So with that being said, here are some players that could learn from Clark’s leadership and pump up the competition in-between the sticks for the Dynamo.

Richard Sanchez – USA, 28 years old

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Richard is currently with LA Galaxy, who recently exited the MLS Playoffs after losing against their rival LAFC. Sanchez is 3rd on the depth chart behind starting keeper Jonathan Bond and back-up Jonathan Klinsmann. While he hasn’t been able to regain a starting role since his playing time with Chicago Fire, Richard has an upside to improve or at least push for the back-up position next season. He also wouldn’t make a dent on the salary cap nor would take up an international spot. This would be the kind of move that would give some wiggle room for other needs around the squad. Richard is set to be a free agent, but the Galaxy do hold a club option to bring him back for one more year.

James Pantemis – Canada, 25 years old

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Another player that could be brought in from within the MLS free agent pool is James Pantemis. The Canadian has started many matches for Montreal as of late. Chances are that the club will pick up his option for a further year, but anything can happen. Pantemis has major up-side and would raise the competition inside the goalkeeping group for the Dynamo. James’s arrival would be tricky because there is some uncertainty to whether he would hold an international slot or not. As it is known, international slots are quite precious.

Josh Cohen – USA, 30 years old

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Alright, Josh Cohen, is one a bit outside the box, but stay with me with here. Josh is an American player who has never played in Major League Soccer. He spent time in the USL Championship with teams like Phoenix Rising and Sacramento Republic. In 2019, Sacramento Republic and Maccabi Haifa from the Israeli Premier League agreed to a transfer for Cohen. Since his arrival with the Israeli club, James has found a ton of success. He helped the club win back-to-back titles in 20/21 & 21/22 after a 10-year drought. He added a few more cup titles and even won the Israeli Footballer of the Year award for the 2020/2021. Josh Cohen and the club are currently playing UEFA Champions League matches against PSG, Benfica, and Juventus. Getting a player like him would make a statement for the future of the club.