Welcome back to our weekly look at some of the key signings and moves from the past week in the build-up to the 2025 USL Championship season. Over the past seven days, another standout from the 2024 USL League One season landed in the league, while the Tampa Bay Rowdies started to build out their goalkeeper room for the season and one of 2024’s breakout performers got a new deal

Here are nine transactions that caught our eye.

1. North Carolina FC signs midfielder Pedro Dolabella

Pedro Dolabella became the third player from the 2024 USL League One All-League First Team to make the move to the USL Championship this offseason on Monday, and the qualities he brings to new club North Carolina FC appear to provide midfield flexibility for Head Coach John Bradford’s squad as it looks to build on its playoff appearance a season ago.

Despite playing predominantly in the center of Union Omaha’s midfield, Dolabella’s goalscoring instincts took a step forward in 2024. He recorded 11 goals across the regular season and playoffs – including finding the net in the League One Final – and rated seventh in the league in the regular season in Expected Goals (7.71xG) behind more out-and-out forward pieces.

Where that versatility was highlighted was in Dolabella’s defensive numbers. In addition to his scoring output, he also ranked in the Top 15 in the league in duels won in the regular season with 107 and in the Top 30 in recoveries with 82, which he was then able to turn into transition moments for Omaha. Playing alongside the more defensive-minded Collin Martin or in a three-man midfield with Mikey Maldonado, the Brazilian could make a notable impact on his new club’s fortunes this season.

• Read More: John Morrissey has a longer breakdown of Dolabella at USLTactics.com

2. Detroit City FC acquires midfielder Jay Chapman

One of the key challenges for Detroit City this season is going to be figuring out how to replace the productivity in the final third which the now departed All-League selection Maxi Rodriguez provided over the past three seasons. The acquisition of Jay Chapman via transfer from Hartford Athletic this week might not result in a repeat of the scoring punch Rodriguez provided with 23 goals in 98 regular season appearances, but in terms of creativity the former Canadian international has shown what he can bring in the attacking half of the field in addition to being solid defensively.

Over the past two seasons, Chapman has only recorded two goals and two assists in the regular season, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. In fact, the 31-year-old has been unlucky to not rack up more assists in that span during his time with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Hartford and on loan with the Charleston Battery late last season, recording a 5.74 Expected Assists mark across the three clubs.

Chapman’s average of 1.27 chances created and 0.14 Expected Assists per 90 minutes are both higher rates than Rodriguez achieved in the past three seasons in Detroit. If he gets the chance to be a starter for Le Rouge this season, there’s potential for a positive impact that can help Ben Morris and Darren Smith thrive.

3. Tampa Bay Rowdies sign goalkeeper Nicolás Campisi

Following the transfer of Jordan Farr this offseason to D.C. United, the Rowdies were going to need a new starter for the 2025 campaign. In Argentine shot-stopper Nicolás Campisi they’ve found their man as the 28-year-old comes in with experience from the Primera Division as well as the top-flight in Paraguay.

At his most recent stop, Unión de Santa Fe, Campisi served as a back-up in the league but saw regular action in the Copa de la Liga Profesional, where he made 13 of his 14 overall appearances for the historic Argentine club. In that span he notched seven shutouts and posted a sub-1.00 goals-against average. Stepping into a situation where he’s going to be the starter week-in and week-out, Campisi’s pedigree will give him a chance to be a strong successor to a strong line of goalkeepers that preceded him at Al Lang Stadium.

4. Louisville City FC re-signs forward Ray Serrano

Ray Serrano achieved his aim in 2024 of a breakout season, recording a career-best eight goals in the regular season while appearing in all 34 games as Louisville City won the Players’ Shield for the first time. His 13 goal contributions, meanwhile, were the most by any player eligible for the Championship’s Young Player of the Year, and while he didn’t claim that honor as teammate Elijah Wynder took the award, it was exactly the sort of campaign the Moses Lake, Wash. native has been promising since he arrived in the league as a 15-year-old at Tacoma Defiance.

What might have been most striking, though, was the underlying numbers Serrano produced. His +9.50 Goals Added mark per American Soccer Analysis was the highest in LouCity’s squad – even exceeding Player of the Year finalist Taylor Davila – and ranked fourth in the league overall. With a new multi-year contract extension in place, Serrano could have a campaign with 20 goal contributions in his sights. If that happens, it will move his stock even higher.

5. Hartford Athletic signs defender Sebastian Anderson

You could argue Sebastian Anderson was caught in the middle with the Colorado Rapids in 2024. He was good enough to remain with the club and make nine appearances for the First Team in Major League Soccer as the Rapids reached the postseason, but unable to break through and thus also pushed into spot starter duty for reserve team Rapids 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, where he made eight appearances over the campaign.

For the 22-year-old full back, it added up to a season stuck in neutral for his individual progression. It also makes Hartford Athletic an ideal spot to try and kickstart his career with a familiar face alongside him. Anderson’s best season in terms of numbers came when he went on loan with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, including a six-assist campaign in 2022 when the side reached the Western Conference Final. Reuniting with Head Coach Brendan Burke and his attack-oriented system – where he should offer a counterbalance on the right to 2024 breakout performance Emmanuel Samadia on the left – should be beneficial to both Anderson and his new club.

6. North Carolina FC signs defender Patrick Burner

There’s something really intriguing about North Carolina’s addition of Patrick Burner for the new season. Yes, the Martinique international hasn’t been active of late – he departed Nîmes Olympique last summer after making 115 appearances for the club across all competitions – but bringing in a right-sided defender with more than 130 appearances in the top two flights in France shows the sort of talent that Burner could still have as he returns across the Atlantic.

Burner has been a full back for most of his career, and that could mean versatility should North Carolina maintain its three-player back line this season with the 28-year-old having the potential to play on the right side of the three or as the right-sided wingback. Putting him opposite Ezra Armstrong on the left could prove a serious threat for opponents if it falls into place properly.

7. Indy Eleven acquires goalkeeper Hunter Sulte on loan

Having already signed Antony Siaha and Reice Charles-Cook to deals and added Ryan Hunsucker to a USL Academy contract after his star turn at last December’s USL Academy League Finals, the return on loan to Indy Eleven of goalkeeper Hunter Sulte from the Portland Timbers might have been a little bit of a surprise, but the 6-foot-7 standout arrives with the potential to build on what was a sterling campaign last year as he emerged as Indy’s No. 1.

Sulte ended the campaign with nine shutouts and 77 saves at a 69.1 percent save percentage in 27 appearances and starred in the club’s run to the Semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. While there was a little balancing out in his numbers as the season progressed – Sulte ended the campaign with -1.91 Goals Prevented mark but saw that number regress over the final third of the season – the quality the Alaska native possesses could see him take the majority of the starts over Indy’s new arrivals.

8. Miami FC signs forward Lucas Melano

When Lucas Melano steps on the field for the first time for Miami FC, it won’t be the first time he’ll have appeared in the USL Championship. That happened seven years ago when the Argentine forward made a pair of brief appearances for the Portland Timbers 2 on the way back to fitness for the Timbers, which ultimately saw him appear in all four games of the club’s run to the 2018 MLS Cup Final.

As the second player from that squad to join Miami FC this offseason after last week’s arrival, Sebastian Blanco, there are similar glass-half-full / glass-half-empty possibilities. Melano has never been a prolific scorer in his career – he recorded six goals and 10 assists in 69 appearances across the regular season and playoffs in MLS – but there is a level of creativity that he could bring to his new environment. The big question is whether at 31 years old and having last seen official action last May in the Azerbaijani top-flight there’s anything to tap into, which might be an even longer shot than Blanco.

9. Orange County re-signs defender Ryan Doghman

There’s still a lot up in the air about what the back line for Orange County is going to look like this season, but in signing full back Ryan Doghman to a new deal the side at least has a dependable piece back on the left side for his third season at the club.

The Norwegian made an impressive impact in his debut in 2023, notching four assists and 24 chances created while also putting up good defensive numbers. Those took a little bit of a dip as injury sidelined Doghman at times last year, almost cutting his minutes in half, but Orange County was typically a better side when he was in the starting lineup than not, averaging more points-per-game when he started and a 1.00 goals-against average per 90 minutes when he was on the field compared to 1.4 when he was absent. After the momentum the side built under Head Coach Danny Stone late last year, Doghman should have an important role to play this season.