Who will Sporting KC take with the #4 pick in the 2025 MLS Super Draft?

On December 20^th, Sporting Kansas City will be making their highest pick in the MLS Super Draft in recent years. Following a difficult year for the squad, SKC missed the playoffs. Manager Peter Vermes and Sporting Director Mike Burns will be looking to overhaul their roster with young talent. No better place to find young, inexpensive talent than the MLS Super Draft. Given that, I’ll make some projections on the potential talent SKC could draft for the upcoming season.

What can we expect from MLS Super Draft Selections?

Before I get into my projections, it’s important to measure our expectations on MLS Super Draft picks. For those unfamiliar, the MLS Super Draft was once a major spot for talent acquisition for many MLS teams. Now, as more teams have sought talent abroad, the Super Draft has served as a place to fill supplemental roster spots and overall fill out a roster with more depth.

Though there are normally one or two players that turn out to have extreme talent for the MLS and abroad, much of what teams will find in the early rounds are late bloomers who can develop into MLS starters. Keep this in mind with these projections; at best most of them will be MLS depth and maybe have enough ability to be quality starters in the MLS.

What do Sporting KC need?

Now as I move into the projections on Sporting KC’s MLS Super Draft pick, it is important to note what positions SKC might be looking to fill. Two positions stand out above all: central midfield and winger. With the departure of Remi Walter, and Danny Flores, there is a significant need to add quality depth in the middle of the park for SKC. Similarly, with Johnny Russell leaving, we currently only have Stephen Afrifa, Alenis Vargas, and Daniel Salloi as wingers on the squad. Now SKC might go for the best player available when they pick, but my projections will be based on their positional need for the squad. On to the projections.

Positional Need: WINGER

Sporting KC loves to play with dynamic wingers who can cut in to allow fullbacks to make overlapping and underlapping runs. Here is who SKC could pick:

Hakim Karamoko, Winger, NC State

2024 Stats: 7 Goals, 2 Assists

Highlights:

Strengths: Very physical and fast winger with a cannon for a left foot (sound familiar?). He’s one of the very few draft prospects who has played as a left-footed inverted winger. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to hold the ball up from his right-wing position. Countless times I saw him bring the ball down off a long ball and shield off defenders with his strength and dribble. He has great size for a winger 6’0, 185 pounds. Karamoko has very quick feet and was a bit of a foul magnet at NC State. He could dribble out of tight spaces to get passes and shots off. While he didn’t have many goals this year, when he did score, they were mostly bangers; long shot curlers of his left foot. His combination of speed, strength, and skill will translate to MLS.

Weakness: He is still very raw. He relies a lot on his speed and strength but doesn’t have a dynamic enough game to make plays for others. Rarely did I ever see him cross the ball from his wing position. Karamoko most often cuts in from his left but only a few times did he use his right foot to beat defenders on the outside. This will be a problem at the next level when strong defenders can force him to use his right foot. One of the major issues with Karamoko is fitness. In 19 games, Karamoko never played the full 90 minutes in any game. The most he played in a game was 85 minutes, one time. Given how much pressure Peter Vermes puts on his player’s fitness, this could be a major issue in playing consistently, if at all at Sporting KC.

Alex Harris, Striker/Winger, Cornell

2024 Stats: 19 Goals, 5 Assists

Highlights:

Strengths: Watching his play, he’s a complete forward; he can play on the left and right-wing, can play striker, and scores with both feet. His game intelligence is tremendous as well. Frequently he would know when to drop and support the midfield and understood how to get the ball to wingers from the 9 position.

From his winger position, he kept width very well and could cut in on either foot. Harris was lethal in front of goal. Anytime he got inside the box or just outside the box he either got a shot on frame or scored. Harris can hold the ball up with his back to goal, turn, and bring players into the game. He’s a strong crosser of the ball from the wing. From the games I watched, he always crossed the ball with purpose, getting his head up and finding players in the box. He’s not a creative dribbler but he can get himself out of tight spaces and use an array of turns against defenders. Though he played primarily as a striker in college, I strongly believe his abilities will translate better as a winger, ala Stephen Afrifa.

Weakness: Even though he will project more as a winger in the MLS, his best wing position is currently occupied by two players, Stephen Afrifa and Daniel Salloi. He was skillful at Cornell but his physical profile could be a concern at the next level. At 5’10-5’11 and 150 pounds he could take a lot of punishment from opposing fullbacks. I put Alex Harris in the best player available slot, I’d take him because I believe his abilities will translate but his fit within the team might be a concern. If he gets added, we will have effectively four right-footed wingers on the roster.

Positional Need: Central Midfield

With Danny Flores and Remi Walter gone, SKC desperately needs a midfielder. Sporting is going to need an all-action, progressive central midfielder with a great defensive mentality and the ability to move the ball from defense to offense quickly. Here are some great options:

Sam Bassett*, Central Midfield, Denver

2024 Stats: 9 Goals, 13 Assists

*Could sign a Homegrown contract with the Colorado Rapids

 Highlights:

Strengths: Simply put, he was the best midfielder in the country this season. Basset holds a lot of the qualities his older brother Cole has; he’s defensively sound, breaks lines with the dribble and the pass, and great at progressing play. One extra talent that he seems to have over his older brother (Cole) is his set piece taking. He was a great set piece taker at Denver, with seemingly every ball being a chance created.

Bassett was so comfortable on the ball and could easily dribble out of tight spaces. Watching his game reminded me a lot of Benny Feilhaber. Recall that Feilhaber wasn’t an outright spectacular dribbler but really good when he needed to be and would so make line-breaking passes to send players in on goal. Bassett has a lot of those same qualities. When he picks up the ball, he’s looking to move it forward or create a chance. He also can make every pass effectively; one-touch passes, long balls, through balls, it’s all in his tool kit. It has been reported that he also trains like a pro and has frequently trained with the Rapids second team. In a draft full of talent, Bassett is the most MLS-ready prospect. He’s a plug-and-play guy right now.

Weakness: This isn’t a knock on Bassett, but I’m honestly not sure if he will be available for the SuperDraft or not. Bassett currently qualifies to be a Homegrown player for the Rapids, and the Rapids would be crazy not to sign him. He’s also noted that he aspires to play with his brother (who is currently playing for the Colorado Rapids). The only problem is the Rapids have several midfield spots full and there isn’t really going to be game-time available for Bassett in their line-up. If he doesn’t sign a Homegrown deal, Sporting KC should take Sam Bassett and never look back.

Now the only knock on Bassett’s abilities are his defensive capabilities. Bassett showed he had the mentality to press and defend but his defensive abilities leave a lot to be desired. He was mostly easy to get by in college and that’s going to be an issue at the MLS level. Even playing in an attacking midfield role he’s going to have to show more bite to play under Manager Peter Vermes.

Michael Adedokun, Central Midfielder/Winger, Ohio State

2024 Stats: 8 Goals, 7 Assists

Highlights:

Strengths: Adedokun has a chance to be this year’s MAC Herman Trophy winner, an honor given to the best player in college soccer. He’s a very dynamic player. He blends speed, strength, and mentality in his game. I could define him as a player in one word: progressive. Adedokun is a player who will pick up the ball and immediately look to drive the ball forward. With his low center of gravity and strength, college defenders frequently bounced off him or resorted to fouling him—he was a terror to take off the ball. He will also make strong runs in the channels either from the midfield or the wing.

Watching him play, his game reminds me so much of Erik Thommy. Adedokun, like Thommy played quite a bit on the left wing so he has a natural inclination to drift over there when he plays centrally. Yet also, like Thommy, he uses his speed and aggression to push the ball forward. He isn’t afraid to take on players. His fitness was also incredible. He played 15 games for a total of 1,296  minutes, meaning on average he played almost 90 minutes every match. His mentality and fitness will serve him well if SKC picks him up. Adedokun also showed a strong work rate, where he would always track back and defend, get into passing lanes and showed strength in the tackle. He is a classic transition-type player who is trying to get the ball from defense to offense ASAP.

Weakness: Adedokun’s biggest weakness is his passing range. He has shown he can make the simple passes to progress play but switches of play and long passing in general are not really in his game. This is also evident in his crossing ability. When he did cross the ball, it would at times be overhit or just wouldn’t find a player. This is something he will have to improve to be a dynamic player at the next level.

Sydney Wathuta*, Central Midfielder/Winger, Vermont

2024 Stats: 1 Goal, 14 Assists

*Though he has played in the Vancouver Whitecaps academy, reports are that he is left unprotected in the draft.

Highlights:

Strengths: If there was ever a boom or bust prospect in the draft Wathuta would be it. Of every prospect in the draft, he has the most potential and talent to play in a top league, and at the same time, he could never meet his potential and be nothing more than an MLS depth piece. Wathuta truly has the size and ability of a modern midfielder as he stands a tall 6’3, 172 pounds. His dribbling ability in tight spaces is incredible for someone his size. He has this Denis Zakaria, Ruben Loftus-Cheek-esque ability on the ball where he can shield defenders from the ball while turning and dribbling through the lines. He’s also very creative as is evident by having the second-highest assist numbers in the nation. He will often dribble through lines of pressure and lay the ball off to a teammate for a chance on goal or a chance to get to goal.

At his core, Wathuta looks to be a press-resistant player, someone who can play against a strong defensive press while keeping the ball and moving the team up field. It also says something that his abilities got his team into the national championship game while never really being a favorite in the tournament. He is regularly deployed on the left wing but watching the games, it is very clear he is more comfortable in the midfield. Wathuta also uses his size for defense as well. He will often step in front of lazy passes, he presses hard and will at times muscle someone off the ball. In my opinion, Sydney Wathuta will either be a player that every team will regret passing on or a player that never really lives up to his potential.

Weakness: Wathuta’s biggest weakness and potentially the ability that will determine how far he goes is his mentality. Far too often I saw him drift in and out of games where he is clearly the most skilled player. At times you want a player with his talent to demand the ball and take initiative in the offense. Wathuta seems like a player who is looking to “fit-in” to the system rather than use his ability to stand out. This of course is a sign that he’s very coachable and likely is going to follow the parameters set for his position.

Yet his play regularly leaves more to be desired, and you would expect him to be more aggressive and take the game to the opposition, especially at the collegiate level. Another weakness is he does not have a set position. He’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades type in the mold of a former Premier League Wolves player Owen Otasowie. Like Otasowie, Wathuta has the size of a defensive midfielder who can do a lot of things; dribble, pass, and occasionally score, but he doesn’t do anything particularly great. His most signature ability is his ball progression and press resistance, but he will have to develop another skill such as passing or finishing to lock down a spot in the midfield or wing. Without it, his versatility will forever be a blessing and a curse.

Final Selection

Sporting KC really need to hit with their draft pick this year. The squad desperately needs talent and depth in the midfield and their pick could be a big contributor. To me, the guy Sporting should take with the number four pick in the MLS Super Draft is…Sydney Wathuta! One thing is clear to me about Wathuta, he has the type of ability that the top teams look for in the midfield; size and technical ability. Most midfielders don’t have both, and he has both in abundance.

Another factor here is pedigree. Believe or not but the Canadian pedigree in the MLS Draft matters. It seems as though Canada is able to produce the most late-bloomers in draft and often those Canadian players that get picked high seem to work out. Just look at Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Stephen Afrifa, Alistair Johnston, Moise Bombito, Richie Laryea, I could go on. Its clear the Canadian academies are doing something right as Canada frequently produces talent in the draft and it’s difficult to bet against that.

For many Canadians and MLS watchers, Wathuta, should remind you of another Canadian export currently playing in the French Ligue 1; Ismael Kone. Wathuta holds similar ability and only time will tell if it reaches the heights of Kone. Either way, Wathuta would provide Sporting KC with size and ability in the midfield that fans have not seen in some time. I would take him, mold him, and never look back.

What about you? Who do you think SKC should take in the MLS Super Draft? Let us know in the comments.