Who should Nashville SC sign this summer in transfer window? Ask Dax McCarty

Who does Nashville SC need to sign in the upcoming secondary transfer window? Midfielder Dax McCarty shared his opinion on the "Major League Journeyman" podcast, which he co-hosts with former MLS players Alan Gordon and Dan Gargan.

Thirteen minutes into an episode released Wednesday titled, "Is St. Louis City SC vs. Nashville SC a rivalry?", Gargan asked: "how do you add another designated player into this lineup?"

"I think it has to be a another attacking player, honestly," McCarty replied. "I think it has to be another guy that could potentially take the load off of Hany (Mukhtar), even though I don't even know if I want someone to take the load off him because it's successful right now.

"…I just think that if you can get a little bit more goal production from one of our attacking pieces — whether it's a goal-scoring winger or whether it's another number nine to help Teal (Bunbury) out a little bit and not have to have him play so many heavy minutes — I think that's where you add probably a designated player."

McCarty said center forward Bunbury and wingers Fafa Picault and Jacob Shaffelburg are "contributing at a very good level for our team." Since Nashville's 10-game unbeaten streak began on April 22 against Los Angeles FC, Picault has posted three goals in regular season play. For Bunbury, two goals and an assist. Shaffelburg has scored a goal in that two-month span.

What Teal Bunbury offers Nashville SC

"…Look, we're not an LAFC. We're not a prime (FC) Barcelona, like we're very secure in who we are," McCarty added. "And (coach) Gary Smith makes no bones about not being afraid to play direct and go long into a target striker. And this guy Teal, he's getting his head kicked in every single game, fighting with center backs. But the more you do that, the more you keep doing that, the more you keep beating down that door, that opens up for space for a guy like Hany.

What player fits Nashville 'mold'

"I have no inside information about any summer moves we're making," he said. "We're not the team that's typically going to go out and make a big splash. We're not Inter Miami. We're not signing (Lionel) Messi, we're not signing (Sergio) Busquets, we're not signing Luis Suarez. If we are going to add a piece up top, in my opinion, it will probably be someone that our scouting department or coaching staff is very familiar with and someone that will fit the mold of what a striker has to do in our system for us to be successful.

"Now, if they can score goals — and they should be able to score goals if they're a DP — that's the cherry on top, right? They're gonna have to continue to fit into that team ethos and that team philosophy because that's something that I think has been a calling card of us. Even when we have designated players, if you're not going to work for the team, you're not going to play. We saw that with Aké Loba and Gary Smith is not afraid, doesn't care what your status is, how much money you're making, you're not going to fit into his plans of how a designated player or how a player that plays anywhere on the field fits in that scenario with the team. If you're not going to make us better, you're not going to play.

"I think they'll be very methodical about how they go about adding to this core of our team because I think we're in a really good place right now but I still think we have potential to do more and get better."

For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who should Nashville SC sign in summer 2023? Dax McCarty says striker