It only took one word from Ricardo Moreira to sum up Robin Jansson's renewal

After a shambolic end to the season, major surgery is required to fix Orlando City's defence.

That procedure began with Pedro Gallese's departure, and further exits are expected to fuel the arrival of fresh blood.

Such major turnover, though, doesn't come entirely risk-free. There's no point ripping up and replacing your whole defence if it'll take most of 2026 for the new-look unit to get to know one another and acclimatise to the intensity of Major League Soccer. Just consider how long it took David Brekalo to get up to speed in 2024.

It's absolutely critical that Orlando get right the balance between change and continuity this off-season. But with Robin Jansson's recent renewal, they already have in place the first piece of the puzzle.

Couldn't have put it any better

Penning a new two-year deal, the club's all-time appearance record holder is gunning to make even more history in Central Florida.

“It’s an honour to continue representing these colours, and I feel super excited to sign a new contract," said the 34-year-old on the club's official website. "This club has given me so much during my time here and I hope I can give back in the best way possible [...] Here’s to more moments, more growth and more victories together."

If anything, it was Ricardo Moreira who summed up this move best.

In a cryptic, one-word social media post one day prior to the announcement, Orlando's newly-promoted sporting director hinted that the next move made public would be, "Colossal."

Yes, Jansson's form dropped off ever so slightly from the near-flawless standards he set in 2023 and 2024, but that's only normal for a player his age and in a defence that was plagued by injuries, suspensions, and inconsistent performances all year.

With the right players around him, there's no reason why he cannot hit these same heights once again.

Only the first piece of the puzzle

Even as captain, however, Jansson can't be made responsible to fix Orlando's defence all on his own.

If Alex Freeman can be convinced to remain in Central Florida for another year, that's the best right-back in the entire league nailed down. If not, we all know just how good Dagur Dan Thórhallsson was before, through no fault of his own, losing his starting spot.

What's more, if Óscar Pareja finally starts deploying Brekalo where he is best, then I'm convinced Orlando will boast one of the league's most capable, dynamic, and complementary centre-back partnerships. The 27-year-old played every minute of Orlando's five-game league run without conceding back in spring, but could be even better if allowed the opportunity to perform in his natural position.

But that still leaves Orlando without proven options in each of the two positions that cost them dearest in 2025.

Yes, Adrián Marín could well come on leaps and bounds during the off-season, but if he doesn't somehow defy all the known laws of the universe, it's clear that yet another left-back must be recruited.

Javier Otero, on the other hand, is an exciting prospect between the sticks. Having trained as an understudy to Orlando's greatest-ever 'keeper for two years, we've already seen what he is capable of in his handful of first-team starts during this time. However, it may be a risk to award him the gloves at this stage of his career, especially with the likes of Dayne St. Clair and Carlos Coronelpotentially available via free agency.

There is clearly a lot more work to be done this off-season, but Orlando's front office have already secured arguably the most vital deal they'll do this winter.