We’re two months away from the start of the 2024 USL Championship season and while numerous clubs have built out strong rosters so far this offseason, there are still numerous notable names that are either available as free agents or confirmed to be moving on from their most recent clubs.

We’ve picked out 11 high-profile names that are currently on the market. Some are guaranteed to head to new destinations, and others have the potential to return to the clubs they represented this past campaign.

Here’s why each could be a difference-maker in the upcoming season.

1. Cameron Lancaster

There’s never been any question about Cameron Lancaster’s quality as a goalscorer. Since arriving in the USL Championship with Louisville City FC for its inaugural season in 2015, the English striker has recorded 89 goals across the regular season and playoffs, with 84 of those coming in LouCity’s colors.

At the same time, the 31-year-old’s ability to stay on the field consistently has proven a challenge at times. Only twice in his career has Lancaster recorded at least 2,100 minutes of action across the regular season and playoffs. In those two years, he recorded 20-plus goals, and in the abbreviated 2020 campaign he made a strong run, appearing in all 19 games while recording 12 finishes. The past two seasons, though, he’s logged 13 goals in 1,672 minutes. The potential reward is there for a team prepared to take on the Lancaster’s availability concerns.

2. Albert Dikwa

Albert Dikwa couldn’t have timed his career year Golden Boot any better than the year prior to his free agency. He currently remains on the market, however, with the decision to either stay with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC or find a new home after four seasons at Highmark Stadium yet to be made.

On one hand, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Dikwa make the move as numerous Pittsburgh players have. This offseason alone 2023 Championship Defender of the Year Arturo Ordóñez (Louisville City FC) and goalkeeper Jahmali Waite (El Paso Locomotive FC) have moved on, mirroring a trend from prior seasons. At the same time, Dikwa has always been effusive in his praise for Hounds Head Coach Bob Lilley in his progression and the success he’s had over the past two seasons. This decision could be a very close one in the end, pending the offers he’s receiving.

3. Taylor Davila

It says a lot about how influential Taylor Davila was for Rio Grande Valley FC last season that he earned Championship All-League honors while competing for a non-playoff side. The central midfielder was the biggest part of keeping the Toros in the postseason race for much of the season – his +9.62 Goals Added mark ranked fifth overall in the Championship per American Soccer Analysis – as he broke out impressively.

With the Toros departing the league in 2024, that makes Davila the biggest midfield prize still yet to have a new landing spot. His quality on the ball both in progressing play and creating as well as his eye for goal should have plenty of suitors queuing up for his services.

4. Connor Sparrow

At the Championship level, Connor Sparrow should be considered among the best goalkeepers to have ever competed in the league. His 40 regular season shutouts have him in the top five all-time, and this past season he continued to excel for the Tampa Bay Rowdies with 10 shutouts and 75 saves in 30 regular season appearances. He ranked third in Goals Added among goalkeepers in the Championship with a +3.95 mark per American Soccer Analysis, and since 2017 has posted a save percentage of 72.5 percent on 356 saves.

Returning to Tampa Bay would seem a logical move for the 29-year-old, but the qualities he brings could make for a battle for his signature among not only the Rowdies but other clubs either aiming for an upgrade between the sticks in 2024 or those in need of a new face after other offseason moves.

5. Danny Trejo

A year ago, Danny Trejo was on our list of free agents USL Championship clubs should target coming out of Major League Soccer. Now, having played a key role in Phoenix Rising FC earning its first league title last November, the 25-year-old is on the market again with the chance to either push back into the top flight or find a landing spot in the Championship where he can have a similar impact.

If he remains in the Championship, Phoenix would certainly be a logical spot for his return, but there would be plenty of competition to bring him aboard. Over the past two seasons, Trejo’s 43 combined goals and assists rank second only to Milan Iloski, who is now headed to FC Nordsjælland in Denmark’s top flight. That’s a remarkable level of production and one that could tilt the chances of a team with Trejo in its ranks.

6. Derek Dodson

There were plenty of heroes in the Charleston Battery’s turnaround last season, but maybe the most overlooked was Derek Dodson, who proved a consistent two-way performer on the right side after coming from Memphis with Head Coach Ben Pirmann. Dodson ranked third in the Championship with 56 tackles won at a 63.6 percent success rate over the regular season and playoffs and also led the Battery with 285 duels won at a 64.8 percent success rate while contributing four assists and 25 chances created in attack.

The 25-year-old’s all-around performance saw him earn a +7.68 Goals Added mark per American Soccer Analysis, second to both Nick Markanich on the Battery and to Sacramento Republic FC’s Jack Gurr among full backs. Dodson should be an impact player in 2024, whether it’s for the Battery or elsewhere.

7. Elvis Amoh

With the changes coming to Hartford Athletic this offseason, Elvis Amoh is one of the players headed out of the door after one season with the club. The disappointment of his five-goal campaign for the Athletic, however, shouldn’t put off clubs from securing the services of a player whose shown his ability to score in the Championship before.

Amoh was coming off consecutive seasons with 13 goals at Rio Grande Valley FC (2021) and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (2022) and has recorded 39 goals at a strike rate of a goal every 195.7 minutes over the course of his career. The physical presence the 6-foot-2 Ghanaian brings can serve as a centerpiece for a club’s attack.

8. Eric Bird

After four seasons with FC Tulsa, Eric Bird departed the club this offseason after a year in which he continued to show his individual talent and versatility that earned plaudits from his teammates. The 30-year-old was voted the club’s Unsung Hero for a second consecutive season and as the Players’ Player of the Year, illustrating the esteem he was held in within Tulsa’s locker room.

That’s not to say Bird was a slouch on the field, either. He recorded three assists and 16 chances created from his deep-lying role while leading the team with 50 tackles won at a 66.7 percent success rate as well as 33 interceptions. Bird earned a +5.55 Goals Added grade per American Soccer Analysis, good for fourth among Central Midfielders. He could make a great add for a team looking for quality as well as locker room leadership and experience.

9. Erik McCue

El Paso Locomotive FC’s defense had its ups and downs last season, but arguably the most consistent part of the group was center back Erik McCue, who as a 22-year-old posted a +5.42 Goals Added mark, good for fourth on the squad per American Soccer Analysis. McCue was good with the ball at his feet with an 86.8 passing accuracy rate and recorded 43 interceptions and 27 blocked shots.

With most of the top center backs in the league players who are more in their prime than the 6-foot-3 native of Sweden, McCue offers a club a player with a solid foundation who has more room to grow. That could lead to him becoming a fixture in the league, or have the potential to be moved on in the transfer marked in the future.

10. Augustine Williams

One of the key players retained by the Charleston Battery during the club’s overhaul last offseason, Augustine Williams delivered a 15-goal campaign to give him 31 over the past two seasons. That tally places him tied for fifth in the Championship in that span and has come on an Expected Goals mark of 29.78xG, a reflection of how the Sierra Leone international consistently puts himself in good scoring positions.

The 26-year-old has now recorded 66 goals in the Championship’s regular season, moving into the Top 10 in league history in the past campaign. With double-digit goals in three of the past four seasons, he could be a valuable addition to a club’s front line should he not be back at Patriots Point.

11. Santi Moar

There might be little more perplexing than the downturn in form – and arguably luck – that has befallen 2021 Championship All-League selection Santi Moar over the past two seasons. Coming off a career year with 16 goals and four assists for Phoenix Rising FC, the Spaniard has recorded only four goals and six assists in 59 appearances over the past two campaigns with Phoenix and most recently with New Mexico United.

So, what’s going on here? Moar seems to have run into a streak of back luck, more than anything. His Expected Goals and Expected Assists numbers, although not astronomical, have at least surpassed his actual totals (4 goals on 8.35xG, 6 assists on 7.28xA) and his shot conversion rates of 3.92% (2022) and 8% (2023) are well below his career average. Maybe all Moar needs is someone to build back up his confidence and get him back on the right path. With 45 goals and 34 assists in his Championship career so far, there’s still hope for a turnaround in the right spot.