The beginning of the Liga MX season is rapidly approaching, but Club America may look to make another signing before the transfer window closes.
Sporting director Santiago Banos said he was happy with the squad he'd been able to assemble, only to see attackers Jeremey Menez and Cecilio Dominguez suffer injuries during preseason. Menez tore his ACL, which will keep him out of the entire Apertura. Dominguez's injury is less serious, but the Paraguayan will miss at least the first two weeks of the season after breaking his jaw.
Those injury blows caused Banos to go back on the hunt for talent, with the capital club looking for a versatile attacker to join the team ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline.
"We're still analyzing this place. The truth is we already had finished our signings. We've got a really strong, very solid squad," Banos said on ESPN AM.
"Unfortunately Jeremy was injured. There's still a chance. We want to sign somebody, if it comes to pass, who might be able to perform in the entire attacking portion of the team, who could play on the left, who could play on the right, behind the nine or in a partnership with another central forward."
Menez and Dominguez aren't the only players who might need cover during the season. While manager Miguel Herrera has been reticent to play 18-year-old attacker Diego Lainez, the teenager is expected to play a bigger role this tournament than he did last season. However, Lainez also will be taking part in U-20 World Cup qualification and other youth tournaments along the way including the Central American and Caribbean Games, which begin this week.
"You have to remember that Lainez, who is a young player who comes in raising his hand, has a lot of calls to the national team coming up this semester and he's going to be missing a lot," Banos said. "So we also have to cover up this absence."
America begins the season with a trip to face Necaxa on Sunday night before heading home to the Estadio Azteca to face Atlas in Jornada 2.
