The new year means new beginnings, and San Diego Wave and San Diego FC are no exception. The task of filling roster spots and other roles looms large for the budding soccer clubs, who have ramped up their recruitment in preparation for the fast-approaching league start. 

Here’s all you need to know about what — and who — is out and what is in for 2025.

San Diego FC

Out:

Unsurprisingly, not much can be “out” for an MLS team entering its first season. However, the team already sent goalkeeper Duran Ferree back to FC Nordsjælland until June. San Diego native Ferree was heavily advertised as the first-ever signing for the club and an embodiment of the San Diego soccer culture. 

The club leaned into this local appeal throughout 2024, cultivating a grassroots feel for the new establishment. Thus, this move came as a surprise to fans, who were looking forward to seeing a local boy in the starting 11. Such an expectation may yet become a reality, however, as the team reportedly signed Celta Vigo midfielder and San Diego native Luca de la Torre this week.

In:

Much like any other expansion MLS squad, SDFC is akin to the lineup you begin with on FIFA: a few recognizable names but mostly expendable, intermediate talent. The former category is filled exclusively by forward Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. Lozano’s club accolades span Europe, including two Dutch Championships and an Italian Championship. 

“You need winners; Hirving is a winner, first and foremost,” said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. 

Another potential big name to join the roster? Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne — effectively the first gold pack opening that bolsters your squad to playable status. De Bruyne has been a seasons-long centerpiece for England’s most dominant club but has suffered some concerning leg injuries that have seen him take a back seat this season, even after his recovery.

Nonetheless, the 33-year-old still has much to offer, as seen through his recent performances with The Cityzens. He would be an especially welcome addition to the SDFC squad, who only have four designated midfielders as of Jan. 20. Unfortunately, his prior injuries will ensure he won’t be a “‘90 minutes, twice a week’ option,” The Athletic’s Jeff Rueter writes.

Five of the other incoming players come from San Diego’s draft class, including the first pick of the draft, UC Santa Barbara midfielder Manu Duah. This youth development focus falls in line with the club’s long-term goal basis. The team partnered with Right to Dream, a program specializing in extensive scouting and holistic player growth, to run its academy; Heaps served as the organization’s Recruitment & Insights lead prior to his current role. SDFC and Right to Dream have already enacted their commitment through the construction of a 125,000-square-foot campus for its players.

Bottom Line:

Despite the long-term outlook, both Heaps and Head Coach Mikey Varas expect a playoff berth in their first season, a lofty goal considering just how untested the team is at every level. Heaps is dipping his toes into the sporting director role for the first time and Varas’ resume tops out as head coach of the U-20 U.S. men’s national team. Most significantly, the team has been forced to speedrun chemistry-building in the month leading up to the league’s kickoff. 

Whether or not SDFC can meet their imposing objective in their inaugural campaign will depend on many things aligning simultaneously while trusting that virtually nothing will go wrong. The good news is, even if SDFC posits an underwhelming inaugural campaign, the club’s strong commitment to youth development ensures that the only way forward is up.

San Diego Wave

Out: 

The NWSL’s San Diego Wave took a massive hit when U.S. women’s national team superstar Alex Morgan announced her retirement at the end of last season. Admittedly, the striker did take a lesser role in her final campaign, scoring no goals after a season where she led the team with six. However, Morgan is sitting pretty and satisfied. 

“I’m just so happy with the way that everything was meant to go down,” Morgan said. 

The same cannot be said for the Wave, who must now fill a gaping hole up front. To make matters exorbitantly worse, the club sold 2024 top goalscorer Jaedyn Shaw to the North Carolina Courage earlier this week. The USWNT’s next big star stood as the club’s only true remedy in Morgan’s absence — a player who could have held the team over until it found a supporting act, as Shaw once was for Morgan.

The departures don’t stop in the final third, however, as Europe has come calling for the Wave’s crown jewel: defender Naomi Girma. The 24-year-old, named in 2024’s The Best FIFA Women’s 11, has gained serious interest from Chelsea and Arsenal, while Lyon has offered a record $1 million transfer fee. If the team were to let her go, there would be a real case for a rebuilding season in 2025, no matter who they bring in.

As a final blow, the team released midfielder Emily Van Egmond and sold defender Christen Westphal in the past month. The two were stalwart contributors who had been with the club since its inception, offering a now-lost camaraderie.

In:

Perhaps the Wave’s biggest incoming transfer news is of a signing who won’t step on the pitch at all. On Jan. 7, the team announced the signing of Arsenal women’s head coach Jonas Eidevall, a relief for a team that has not had a formal head coach since June 2024. Eidevall comes to San Diego having won consecutive FA Women’s League Cup titles in 2023 and 2024. More importantly, he will no doubt bring a different culture to an organization that has fallen out of public favor in recent months.

Forward Chiamaka Okwuchukwu and midfielder Favour Emmanuel, both Nigerian nationals, will make the overseas trip alongside Eidevall. Okwuchukwu will be joined up top by Texas star Trinity Byars, the NWSL’s first-ever direct-to-league signing following its move away from the draft system. The Wave has taken full advantage of this new format, signing defenders Quincy McMahon and Trinity Armstrong from UCLA and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, respectively; Armstrong had just finished her freshman season upon signing for the club. 

The young forwards will likely ease into their roles, leaving more playing time for veteran players like Delphine Cascarino. The French winger made an instant impact following her mid-season acquisition, scoring two goals and assisting another in nine games. The Wave will also bank on Mexican national team star Maria Sanchez finding her footing in the new year. Her team-leading five assists — and zero goals — become less impressive next to the record-breaking $500,000 salary she received for joining the team last season.

The club has put their defensive core in a hard place this season, meaning McMahon and Armstrong may be forced onto the field earlier and more frequently than expected. Compare this to Kennedy Wesley, the team’s top draft pick last season, who played in just half of the team’s games as she developed under Girma and USWNT veteran Abby Dahlkemper, who left the team midseason last year.

Bottom Line:

Much like San Diego FC, San Diego Wave is an exceptionally young squad. Thus, if this team is the final solution, it will take a couple of seasons for it to come to fruition. Eidevall will have a field day molding these young talents into a prodigious unit, so Wave fans can look forward to a notable blossoming throughout the 2025 season. However, the gaffer will have to muster up some 2015-16 Claudio Ranieri magic to raise a trophy by the end of the year.