Will Sporting Kansas City sign left-winger Capita before the transfer window shuts?

The winter transfer window has not been the success that supporters of Sporting Kansas City hoped for following the arrival of sporting director David Lee. The club entered the offseason needing to reshape large parts of its roster after declining the contract options of numerous players at the end of the 2025 season. That process has proven more complicated than expected.

So far, Lee has signed only a handful of players to contracts, and three of those arrivals first joined the squad as preseason trialists. Sporting were linked with several potential targets throughout the winter, but most of those negotiations failed to result in completed deals. The most notable confirmed addition was midfielder Lasse Berg Johnsen, who joined from Swedish club Malmo.

Even Lee has acknowledged that the club’s recruitment process has moved slower than planned. However, Sporting may finally be closing in on another signing that could strengthen their attacking options.

Sporting linked with Angolan winger Capita

Reports suggest Sporting’s pursuit of Angolan winger Osvaldo Pedro Capemba, known as Capita, could lead to a deal before the transfer window shuts. The 24-year-old currently plays for Polish club Radomiak Radom in the Ekstraklasa, where he has developed into one of the team’s most dangerous attacking players.

Capita joined Radomiak in August 2024 after signing from Portuguese side Estrela da Amadora. Since arriving in Poland, he has become a regular in the Radomiak lineup and has contributed both goals and attacking threat from wide areas.

This season, the winger has appeared in 20 league matches, scoring six goals and adding one assist. Radomiak currently sit 10th in the Ekstraklasa table with eight wins, eight draws, and eight losses.

Sporting Kansas City are not the only club monitoring the Angolan international. Capita has also been linked with Turkish side Samsunspor and German club Schalke. According to reports, Sporting could pay more than $2.6 million to secure the winger’s services.

The attacking profile Sporting need

Sporting’s interest in Capita makes sense when examining the type of player the club currently lacks. The team needs a winger capable of stretching defenses with pace, attacking space behind full-backs, and creating goalscoring opportunities in the final third. 

Although Capita has recorded only two assists since joining Radomiak, his overall attacking production has been encouraging. The winger has scored 12 goals in 38 appearances for the Polish club.

Capita’s versatility would also be valuable for head coach Raphael Wicky. The Angolan is capable of playing on either wing and can also operate centrally if needed. That flexibility would give Sporting more options in attack.

At the moment, Calvin Harris has performed well on the left side of the attack, while Shapi Suleymanov has featured on the right. Jake Davis has also been deployed in a wide position. Adding Capita would create greater competition for places.

Why Sporting need reinforcements in attack

Sporting’s need for additional attacking quality became even more apparent after the sudden transfer of Daniel Salloi shortly before the start of the season. Salloi’s departure removed one of the team’s most reliable sources of goals.

The impact has been clear during the opening matches of the campaign. Sporting scored only two goals in their first three games, and the team has struggled to consistently create clear scoring opportunities. The issue is not just finishing chances but generating them in the first place.

Statistically, Sporting sit near the bottom of several important attacking categories across MLS. The club ranks 22nd in possession with an average of 43.5%, while their expected goals total of 2.3 places them 27th in the league. Sporting also average just 2.7 shots on target per match, ranking 28th in MLS.

The problems extend into wide areas as well. Sporting rank 26th in accurate crosses with only 2.3 per game and are 24th in touches inside the opposition penalty area with just 52. Those numbers highlight the lack of attacking penetration and creativity in the team’s current setup.

Capita’s career path has taken him across several leagues in Europe before his recent success in Poland. Earlier in his career, the Angolan spent time with LOSC Lille B in France, Mouscron in Belgium, and Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel. He didn’t consistently find the back of the net until arriving at Radomiak, however.

Waiting for confirmation from the club

Although reports indicate that Capita could soon join Sporting Kansas City, the club has not officially confirmed the move. However, Sporting have shown a tendency to keep transfer negotiations quiet until deals are finalized.

Both Harris and Johnsen were signed without significant news beforehand, with their announcements arriving suddenly once contracts were completed. Because of that approach, the lack of public confirmation does not necessarily mean the deal is not progressing behind the scenes.