Development paying off for Charlotte FC
Defender Adilson Malanda bound for England at season's end as Charlotte cashes in again during summer transfer window; introducing Australian striker, eyeing goalkeeper lineup and previewing Red Bulls
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Charlotte FC is selling its second key player in a month with the departure of center back Adilson Malanda to Middlesbrough, though he will remain with Charlotte until end of 2025 season
Center back Adilson Malanda will remain with Charlotte FC on loan until the end of the season and then move on to Middlesbrough FC in England. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
For Charlotte FC, 2025 will be remembered as the year this expansion franchise figured out how to cash in on the global market.
This summer transfer window has seen Charlotte sell striker Patrick Agyemang to Derby County a month ago and center back Adilson Malanda, this week, to Middlesbrough. Both teams are in the English Championship, the second tier in England. Both deals were for a reported $8 million transfer fee, not including add-ons. The difference with Malanda is that the deal stipulated he would remain in Charlotte on loan through the end of the MLS season.
Coach Dean Smith had bristled at questions at first about losing a stalwart from his defensive backline, when reports surfaced of interest between Malanda and Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. Charlotte was not prepared to lose him during a playoff run. But general manager Zoran Krneta was convinced after he got both the right bid and a buyer who would agree to let Malanda finish the season here.
“There were multiple top clubs that sent us strong offers for Adi, but in the end, this option allowed for us to keep him through the end of the season as we push for the top four,” Krneta said in a release announcing the move.
Charlotte, now seventh in the Eastern Conference, looks to extend a club record six-game MLS winning streak in a rare Sunday night game against the New York Red Bulls.
The sales of Malanda and Agyemang signal an evolution in Charlotte’s four-year build. In the past, when the club has sold, it was to move on from players who weren’t measuring up (Enzo Copetti, for example) or weren’t content here (Karol Swiderski). But both of those players were known quantities when they arrived. The difference this window is Charlotte showing the ability to buy low and sell high.
Agyemang [college draft] and Malanda [French second tier] were diamonds in the rough Charlotte mined and sold for big profits. The club walks off from these two transfers with a minimum of $16 million, plus an additional $2 million in bonuses for Agyemang, and sell-on money for both when players go on to another team.
Malanda’s reported $8 million transfer fee is the fourth-highest outgoing total for an MLS defender, according to transfermarkt.com.
“His career path shows that Charlotte FC is the right place for young players to come and develop into sought-after players from clubs all around the world,” Krneta said in the statement.
Despite MLS’ old reputation as a “retirement” league for past-their-prime European players, Charlotte is taking advantage of its capacity for development, finding and feeding up-and-comers to sell to the top leagues in Europe.
And Charlotte FC continues to perpetuate the cycle. The club just doubled down on 20-year-old Australian striker Archie Goodwin, who joins 20-year-old Israeli Idan Toklomati, as front-line prospects Charlotte could eventually market to Europe. There is more to come. A source familiar with the situation confirmed a report from international soccer reporter Fabrizio Romano this week that Charlotte is finalizing a deal worth as much as $6 million in incentives for 18-year-old midfielder Rodolfo Aloko of the African nation Benin. Aloko will start with Crown Legacy, but if he’s anything like some of the names previously mentioned, he won’t be there long.
Malanda, 23, started with Charlotte FC in August of 2022 and has been their most important defensive player ever since. He is the only outfield player (non-goalkeeper) in MLS to start all 27 matches this season and play all 2,430 minutes. (He missed time in Leagues Cup with a minor knee injury but returned to help extend Charlotte’s streak of three straight shutouts in MLS play.)
If Middlesbrough continues its recent trajectory and earns a promotion, Malanda could be in the English Premier League next season.
G’day from Goodwin, Charlotte FC’s new Australian striker
Archie Goodwin, 20, inks his three-year deal through 2028 with Charlotte FC. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
It takes confidence to leave home at age 20 for a country halfway around the world, but that’s what new Australian striker Archie Goodwin did when he signed a three-year deal with Charlotte FC. The baby-faced forward with a Benson Boone-esque mustache showed it again Monday afternoon at his introductory press conference. Before he started, unprompted, he walked up to each member of the media, shook hands and introduced himself.
He was still awaiting the receipt of his visa.
Not that it’s unusual for a striker to have swagger, especially one who is coming off a 13-goal season to tie for the lead in Australia’s A-League. But it stood out for someone so young, who just flew more than 20 hours to get here: Adelaide to Sydney, Sydney to L.A., L.A. to Charlotte.
His press conference was less than a week after another Australian named Archie — Wilson, a freshman punter for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers — went viral in a video clip for breaking down in tears talking about missing his family in Australia. (Archie Goodwin has a mom, dad and two younger brothers at home, too, by the way.)
But Goodwin, who is two years older, has had his sights set on playing overseas since he was a kid. He grew up a fan of Liverpool and Australian Craig Johnston, who made the jump from Goodwin’s hometown of Newcastle to the English Premier League in the 1980s. Goodwin dreams of following in his footsteps. It’s a big reason why he wanted to come to MLS.
“You look at the likes of [Lionel] Messi in this league, you’ve got Wilf [Zaha] here,” Goodwin said. “It’s a good stepping stone for younger players to come as well, because they get the opportunity to learn off those people. So it’s really exciting.”
When asked to describe his style of play, Goodwin’s response sounded just like what Smith wants from center forwards in his transition-oriented attack. “[I’m] very direct in behind, always in the box,” Goodwin said. “I always look to get on the end of things, [with] a natural goal-scorer ability to be in the right areas at the right time and just finish it off.”
As for his parents, Kellie and Bill? Goodwin said they’ve been supportive of the move as well.
“For mums, it’s always hard to let their kids go overseas, especially this far,” Goodwin said. “She believes in my character, and I’m someone who strives for the best. Coming over here, she knows I’m going to be at my best and be happy and [that] I’ll keep in contact with them. They’re really supportive of my football.”
Trade for Inter Miami goalkeeper complete; what it might mean for Kahlina
Charlotte FC announced the addition of goalkeeper Drake Callender in a trade from Inter Miami this week. To make room for him on the roster, the club waived reserve goalkeeper George Marks, one of the last three original players from Charlotte’s inaugural 2022 team. That’s the official terminology. But what does this move really mean?
Callender, 27, was the starting goalkeeper for Inter Miami from 2022-2024, helping Miami win its first trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield as the winningest team in MLS. He’s had multiple call-ups with the U.S. Men’s National Team. He made two saves (and scored a goal, too) in a shootout win over Nashville in the 2023 Leagues Cup final. Callender underwent sports hernia surgery in May and hasn’t returned to Miami’s lineup since, which made him available for trade.
Smith and Krneta have used words like “adding depth” when referencing this move, which means at a minimum, Callender was brought on as a backup to Kristijan Kahlina. David Bingham is currently the No. 2 goalkeeper, but his contract expires at the end of the season.
“[Callender’s] MLS experience and recent national team call-ups make him a key piece to help strengthen our goalkeeping core as we continue to build the strongest squad possible for the run-in,” Krneta said in the press release. “But also an eye towards the future.”
That last “eye towards the future,” comment and the $750,000 in General Allocation Money Charlotte sent Miami (which is essentially used as salary cap space) makes you wonder if Callender is coming for Kahlina’s starting job and if so, how soon. Kahlina is the defending MLS goalkeeper of the year and a leader on the team. He had some uncharacteristic games during a rough stretch for the team in May but is a big part of Charlotte’s six-game winning streak.
He also happens to be a fan favorite and one of just two players left from the inaugural 2022 team, along with Brandt Bronico. Kahlina, 33, is signed through 2026 with an option for 2027.
“If this has something questionable behind this, I don’t know, but I will just think about myself, and then we’ll see what the future will give us,” the Croatian Kahlina said after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Salt Lake. “I’m not a computer that can say, ‘Oh no, I don’t care.’ I think he’s a really good goalkeeper. But I think, for myself, I’m the best one here in the league. And that’s it.”
Smith was in the U.K. for a personal matter late in the week and was not scheduled to meet with the media to give his perspective until Saturday morning.
Departures: Marks, like Ben Bender earlier this season, became another fan favorite Charlotte has parted ways with this season. The former third-round pick from Clemson, known for relentless work in both the weight room and the community, started eight games in Charlotte’s first two seasons but had not appeared in a game since. He was loaned out to Las Vegas of the USL Championship last year and appeared in just two games. His 6-foot-1 height has worked against him in a league where goalkeepers are regularly 6-foot-3 and taller.
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard!” Marks wrote to fans on Instagram. “Thank you Charlotte.”
Charlotte also bought out the remainder of Souleyman Doumbia’s loan, ending the tenure of the supposed stopgap left back who has battled hamstring injuries all season.
Up Next: Charlotte FC (14-11-2) vs. New York Red Bulls (12-8-5)
When/Where: Sunday, 7 p.m. Bank of America Stadium
How to watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Find information about how to subscribe for the season here.
How to listen: WFNZ 92.7 in English, WOLS 106.1 in Spanish.
Notable:
Charlotte is the hottest team in MLS, winning six league games in a row and unbeaten in seven, dating back to a 2-2 draw against Orlando.
If Charlotte wins Sunday, it will break its club record for wins in a season (14) and at home (10).
Idan Toklomati scored the lone goal in Charlotte’s 1-0 win over Salt Lake last Saturday. It was his seventh goal in MLS play and gives him six goals in his last nine league games and goal contributions (including assists) in each of his last four.
New English defender Harry Toffolo made his MLS debut off the bench against Salt Lake.
Charlotte has faced the New York Red Bulls nine times and won just once, going 1-5-3. The Red Bulls won 4-2 on May 28 in New York during Charlotte’s stretch of nine losses in 11 games.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her fourth season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!
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A great read as always...Beat Red Bulls!
As much as I don't want Malanda to go - and I mean I REALLY don't want him to go - it was inevitable. I think Krneta and company have made 2 smart moves to sell Malanda and Agyemang for team-building fees. As for right CB, seems this is Privett's job now. Most of other defenders are wing backs, so who else would fit at CB?