Charlotte FC is adding key offensive players
Charlotte FC poised to land winger Wilfried Zaha of the Ivory Coast, their biggest signing yet, to complement Portland midfielder Williamson and returning Biel, plus Agyemang thriving in USMNT Camp
This is a special offseason edition of FĂștbol Friday, The Charlotte Ledgerâs weekly newsletter getting you up to speed on Charlotte FC, the cityâs pro soccer team. FĂștbol Friday will begin its weekly rotation in mid-February, leading up to Charlotte FCâs season opener March 1 against Atlanta United at Bank of America Stadium.
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Wilfried Zaha would be Charlotte FCâs biggest acquisition yet as Charlotte lands multiple offensive targets, including midfielder Williamson from Portland
Charlotte FC announced the acquisition of midfielder Eryk Williamson this week. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
In its first year under Coach Dean Smith, Charlotte FC shored up its defense. Now, the club is set to take a significant step forward on the offensive side of the ball.
Terms have been reached to land Wilfried Zaha, a bona fide star on the international soccer scene, who played 12 seasons over two stints with Crystal Palace of the English Premier League. The deal is pending the outcome of his physical this weekend in Charlotte, but barring anything unforeseen, he is expected to travel with the team to Florida on Sunday. The deal is a loan from his Turkish club Galatasaray, reportedly through next season, with an option for 2026.
Zaha, 32, is just the kind of âgoal-grabberâ Smith mentioned earlier this week, when asked for his roster wish list. He played 458 games over his two stints with Crystal Palace, producing double-digit goal contributions (goals + assists) seven times in his 12 seasons.
Zaha was born in the Ivory Coast, but his family moved to England when he was 4. He signed with Crystal Palaceâs youth academy as an 8-year-old. He played two games for Englandâs national team before switching allegiances to the Ivory Coast, which he has represented in 33 international games.
Zaha scored nine goals in 30 games for the Istanbul club in 2023-2024 but saw his playing time diminish and was loaned out last season to Lyons of Franceâs Ligue 1, where he played just four games. Heâll be looking to reignite his career in what is ultimately a low-risk move for Charlotte.
âŒïž Midfield playmaker: Another item Smith mentioned on his wish list this week was a ballhandling midfielder. Charlotte addressed that need in a trade for Portland Timbers midfielder Eryk Williamson, which was announced on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old is originally from Alexandria, Va., and played at the University of Maryland. He had signed with DC Unitedâs Academy as a young player and was ineligible for the MLS SuperDraft, but DC traded him to Portland, where heâs been for the past seven years.
Smithâs top assistant coach, Miles Joseph, spent six seasons as assistant coach for Portland before joining Smithâs staff last year. Joseph got a text message from Williamson, shortly after the trade to Charlotte FC was complete.
âI sent him a GIF, that famous LeBron [James] GIF of him ripping off the training top and screaming, âLet's go!'" Williamson said at his introductory press conference Thursday. âI sent it to him and didn't realize he was at dinner with Dean and the rest of the guys. They sent me a quick message saying, âHey, saw the message to Miles. We're just as excited as you are.ââ
Williamson said he first got wind of Charlotte FCâs interest in him last season. He was looking for a fresh start this winter and said he was ready to take it after he talked to Smith last week.
âI picked his brain on his plan and what's going on here,â Williamson said. âAnd right when I hung up, I called my agent to basically tell him that I wanted to be here.â
Williamson got a feel for what itâs like to play at Bank of America Stadium last May, when he started at attacking midfield in Portlandâs 2-0 loss in Charlotte. He said he gained a healthy respect for Charlotteâs fans, midfielders and in particular, Djibril Diani, with whom he exchanged jerseys afterward. He said heâs looking forward to being on the home side this time.
âIt was like a punch in the mouth once we got into the stadium and heard the fans,â Williamson said. âYour heart drops into your stomach a little bit, and itâs one of the only environments that I can ever say that Iâve played in that Iâve felt so uncomfortable being on the other side.â
Pep Biel rejoins Charlotte FC on loan from Olympiacos. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
âŒïž Biel back: News of the two new additions came on the heels of Charlotteâs announcement that midfielder/winger Pep Biel was rejoining the team on loan through Aug. 1, with an option to buy for longer. The deal allowed Charlotte to bring Biel back after his loan from Greek club Olympiacos expired Dec. 31. Biel scored two goals and had three assists in just nine games after he was acquired at the end of the summer transfer window.
âIâm very happy to be back here,â the Spaniard said this week. âI felt very good the period I was here.â
Charlotte was able to sign him without the tag of âdesignated player,â giving them flexibility to pursue Zaha. The other two âDPâ spots are held by winger Liel Abada and striker Karol Swiderski. The club hasnât ruled out parting ways with Swiderski this winter transfer window, which would open another DP spot.
Chance for Agyemang to shine in U.S. Menâs National team camp
Patrick Agyemang is not just Charlotteâs rise-from-obscurity story anymore. The 6-foot-4 striker, who broke out with 10 goals for Charlotte last year, has been telling the story of his journey from Division III Eastern Connecticut State to MLS with new teammates on the U.S. Menâs National Team. Agyemang earned his first call-up to the U.S. Menâs team, which opened its January camp last week in Fort Lauderdale.
âItâs been funny because a lot of guys ask me about my story, and they enjoy hearing how I came up the ranks,â Agyemang said this week on a call from Florida.
Feedback from the coaching staff has been positive, too, Agyemang said, âto just express myself, to do what I know I can do and play with confidence.â
Head U.S. menâs coach Mauricio Pochettino got his first look at Agyemang last Nov. 9 in Orlando, where he saw Charlotte lose on penalty kicks in an elimination game from the best-of-three first-round MLS playoffs. He apparently liked what he saw from Agyemang, who combines unique size and physical ability with ball skills to create his own shots.
Smith has known Pochettino since both were coaching in England, but said he didnât have to give him any insight on Agyemang. So he saved that for Agyemang, shortly before he left for camp.
âI told [Patrick] âDonât feel like youâre an imposter,ââ Smith said. ââYouâve earned the right to be there. Go and enjoy it and show what youâre about.ââ
Smith is headed for Miami on Saturday, a day before the rest of Charlotte FC opens camp there, so he can watch Agyemang and the U.S. play an exhibition match against Venezuela. The team will play Costa Rica on Wednesday.
Agyemang fights for possession at the U.S. Menâs National Team camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Soccer.)
Agyemang had the benefit of going to the U.S. camp with a teammate in tow. Veteran center back Tim Ream has played 66 games for the U.S., including the 2022 World Cup. Agyemang said Ream gave him some advice at the airport before they boarded a flight but said mostly, Ream told him he had to experience it for himself.
âI remember a couple of days after I said, âYeah, you're right,ââ Agyemang said. ââAll you could have said wouldnât have even helped anyway. I just have to experience it. But he believes in me. He said, âYouâre going to do well, just do what you know to do, focus on the controllables, keep your head down and work hard, and everything works itself out. Iâve been doing that so far.â
The January camp features 23 MLS players, minus stars like Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson playing overseas. Thatâs all the more opportunity for seven first-timers including Agyemang.
Since 1990, 30 players who were playing for either the first or second time in the U.S.âs first camp of a calendar year have gone on to make a FIFA World Cup roster, including Ream, Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Matt Turner and Walker Zimmerman.
Notable
âŒïž Charman departs: As The Ledger reported exclusively earlier this week in a special Monday edition of FĂștbol Friday, radio color analyst Jessica Charman is departing the club after three seasons to take a job in TV play-by-play. She will broadcast womenâs games in the NWSL and USL Super League as well as menâs games for USL Championship. Charman has called every Charlotte FC radio broadcast since the teamâs inception in 2022.
âAs much as I believe in radio with all of my heart, television is obviously a natural progression, and thereâs going to be more opportunities to grow in TV,â Charman said. â[But] Iâm going to miss those personal connections and that exclusiveness as a voice of a club that you get by calling every single game.â
âŒïž Smithâs son to Crown Legacy: Dean Smithâs son Jamie, a 27-year-old center back, is on the verge of signing with Charlotte FCâs Next Pro team, Crown Legacy FC, as first reported by TopBin90.com. Jamie Smith is a big reason why Charlotte FC was able to lure Dean Smith from the English ranks. He was familiar with the Carolinas after watching his son play soccer at Limestone University and N.C. State, followed by three years with the Greenville Triumph of the USL League One.
âŒïž MLS roster rule changes: Major League Soccer announced a series of rule changes this week that will affect how teams are put together. Among the most notable was a decision to push back the summer transfer window by a week (ending Aug. 21) in an attempt to line up better with the global transfer markets. Thatâs something Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta has been pushing for, but it remains to be seen if one week is enough to make a difference.
The change that could have the biggest immediate impact on MLS is a rule that now allows teams to trade unlimited cash for players within MLS, in an effort to retain some of the biggest names in MLS. Two names circulating already are 2023 MLS MVP Luciano Acosta, star midfielder for FC Cincinnati; and Evander, Portlandâs attacking midfielder who had 28 goal contributions last season.
Up Next: Preseason stints in Miami and California
Charlotte FC opened its preseason with a week of practices in Charlotte this week before hitting the road Sunday for Miami. Here are notable dates for the preseason:
Jan. 19-30: Several closed-door exhibitions during a 10-day stint in Florida.
Feb. 5: Charlotte will play North Carolina FC in Raleigh in a game open to the public. Tickets went on sale today.
Feb. 6-15: Charlotte competes in the Coachella Valley Invitational, which will include games against defending MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy on Feb. 9 and the Portland Timbers on Feb. 15.
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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