Where we left off last year
2023 season: 49 points, 7th in the Eastern Conference
Nashville SC finally took another stab at signing a DP No. 9 in last season’s summer transfer window. Once they did, things quickly started humming along… at least for a while. Sam Surridge, who was signed from Nottingham Forest, had early chemistry with star Hany Mukhtar during the club’s run to the Leagues Cup final. The 25-year-old English striker scored in each of his first three games for Nashville.
And then he cooled off, scoring just twice in nine regular season appearances. Both Surridge and Nashville failed to find the back of the net in their opening round postseason series against Orlando City. They only conceded one goal in each game, but without a consistently dangerous attack, their year ended in back-to-back playoff losses.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Dru Yearwood, CM: Yearwood never looked like anything more than a rotation option in central midfield during his time with the New York Red Bulls. But the 23-year-old has experience covering ground in a defense-first system and has some useful ball progression tools that will come in handy for manager Gary Smith.
- McKinze Gaines, W: Things never seemed to work out for Gaines in Charlotte, likely because he’s not well-rounded enough to be a ball-dominant winger at this level. Don’t rule out Smith turning him into an outside back at some point this year.
- Tyler Boyd, W: Nashville’s biggest get of the offseason via a trade with the LA Galaxy, Boyd will offer a little creativity and flair in the final third. The 29-year-old winger has never been a consistent goalscorer year-over-year, but he can provide for his teammates. Boyd finished in the 90th percentile for expected assisted goals (xAG) per 90 minutes in MLS last year among his positional peers, according to FBref.
