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This is the second of a series of personnel management analyses targeting what the Montreal Impact should prioritize over the winter months in preparation for the 2016 season. Check in for an update every day organized by position.
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Centre-Backs
Current Depth Chart:
1- Laurent Ciman
2- Victor Cabrera
3- Wandrille Lefevre
Laurent Ciman recently won the award for best defender in MLS - and rightfully so. When Ciman is on his game he is dominant. He can be the difference, not just between a goal against per game or not, but between controlling the entire game from the back or not. When Ciman is at his best he makes his defensive partner, the full-backs, and the holding midfielders a lot better.
But all is not well in the central defensive corps for the Impact. Ciman seemed to have his best games when paired with Victor Cabrera, and especially as Cabrera evolved slowly but surely throughout the season - establishing himself as the clear choice to start over Wandrille Lefevre. However, Cabrera's loan from River Plate in Argentina is over and the Impact must either negotiate another loan or attempt to buy the player outright from his home team. This situation wouldn't be as complicated had Cabrera not improved so vastly over the season and had such a good playoffs.
If a permanent transfer for Cabrera isn't possible, then the alternatives may be to either give Lefevre the full-time job or to rotate him with Hassoun Camara. Though neither of these options seem like good long-term solutions as Lefevre hasn't established himself as a starter in MLS yet and Camara might be called into action as a right back.
Recommendation: Attempt to buy Cabrera from River Plate and acquire another centre-back, likely via the international market, to slot in behind Cabrera but in front of Lefevre on the depth chart to give the coach more options when Ciman is serving suspensions.
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