To say that the current state of the Chicago Fire roster is abysmal would be an understatement at best. There are holes to be covered, and deadwood to be replaced. However the club can remedy this as the MLS secondary transfer window is now officially open.

Let’s take a look at the three areas where the Fire need to focus on during this window.

Defense, Defense, Defense

We have said this countless times, the Fire desperately needs to fix their defense. Despite signing Francisco Calvo and Marcelo, those two have not been able to fill the void left by Brandon Vincent and Matt Polster. The club also can’t rely on makeshift defensive positions forever. That’s just a recipe for further disaster.

The Fire needs to find a player who would bring stability and control to the back line to prevent collapses from happening again. While the market for defenders might be sparse within the league, the Fire can look towards free-agents elsewhere.

Replacement for Dax McCarty

McCarty’s contract runs through the end of the year - with an option for 2020, but the Fire should start looking for his replacement now. Sure there’s Mo Adams who could be his direct replacement, but at the moment he doesn’t bring the commanding presence out in the midfield like the captain.

The Fire does have an international slot open, and with the possibility of Bastian Schweinsteiger retiring at the end of the season, perhaps they can look overseas for a DP-level veteran midfielder.

Another Striker

Earlier this year, there were rumors of the club shopping Nemanja Nikolic around. While that rumor has largely died off, Nikolic hasn’t been up to par lately which has seen him benched in favor of CJ Sapong. With his dip in form and contract ending after the season, the club would hard-pressed not to find a replacement for him.

What areas of the squad would you like to see the Fire focus on improving? Let us know in the comments below.