Charlotte FC closing in on deal to land starting-level striker

Alex Andrejev

Polish striker Karol Świderski is finalizing a deal with Charlotte FC that will likely make him the team’s first Designated Player, a source familiar with the situation told The Observer.

Multiple sources previously told The Observer that Charlotte FC was targeting Świderski, but no deal had been finalized. Now, an official move appears imminent.

Świderski arrived in Charlotte on Monday and is close to signing the deal with the Major League Soccer expansion club worth around $5 million. His contract would be for four years, plus an option year.

An official announcement on Świderski’s arrival is expected this week.

Świderski, who turned 25 on Sunday, received his first Polish national team call-up last year for World Cup Qualifying matches in which he scored five goals in nine appearances. He’s totaled six goals in 14 appearances since his senior debut for Poland, scoring one in an international friendly against Iceland last summer.

He joins Charlotte from Greek club POAK Thessaloniki, one of the country’s top teams, where he spent the last three years. He scored 35 goals and added 14 assists for POAK in 135 appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

Świderski is expected to fill an international roster slot for Charlotte FC and would be considered a Designated Player, whose total compensation and acquisition costs exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge ($612,500 this year), with the club bearing financial responsibility for the amount of compensation above his salary budget charge.

He would be the 10th player to fill an international roster slot, of the 11 international slots the club is able to fill. He would also be the second Polish-born player on the roster, joining 22-year-old defender Jan Sobociński. Świderski is a native of Rawicz, Poland.

Prior to signing with POAK, Świderski played for Polish club Jagiellonia Białystok from 2014-19. His attacking capabilities likely mesh in the game model taught by Charlotte FC’s head coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez, who said last week that Charlotte FC was looking to sign ideally two more starting-level strikers and wingers in each position.

“We need to be clever,” Ramírez said ahead of pre-season training, which began last week in Charlotte. “And we need to see that we still have markets open. When we go for a DP or an expensive player, we need to be very, very clever because it’s a lot of money.”

Ecuadorian central midfielder Jordy Alcívar, 22, is currently listed as a Young Designated Player on Charlotte FC’s roster (Young DP’s carry a lower salary budget charge), but Alcívar’s designation could change before rosters are finalized.

The addition of Świderski is expected to be the club’s most expensive move yet. He would be the team’s 25th player, joining an attacking lineup that includes forwards Vinícius Mello and Yordy Reyna, and domestic wingers McKinze Gaines and Kyle Holcomb.

Charlotte FC’s opening match is Feb. 26 against D.C. United in Washington, D.C. The team’s home opener is set for March 5 at Bank of America Stadium.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Major water users in southern Alberta agree to curb consumption in face of drought

    CALGARY — More than three dozen major water users in southern Alberta have agreed to voluntarily curb their consumption if there's a severe drought this spring or summer. The province announced Friday that municipalities, irrigation districts and industry players have signed memorandums of understanding covering four sub-basins — the Red Deer River, the Bow River, the mainstem of the Oldman River and upper tributaries of the Oldman. The deals are billed as the biggest of their kind in Alberta's

  • A Sneak Peak Into the Finances of Elon Musk’s SpaceX

    In 2002, Elon Musk launched SpaceX -- a groundbreaking company designed to reduce the cost of space travel, create commercial spaceflight, and develop a sustainable colony on Mars. Since its...

  • Bug season is coming: Prepare with this top-selling $15 indoor fly trap that uses zero chemicals

    Swap the swatter for an insect-buster that has over 16,000 shoppers buzzing.

  • Lazio up to sixth in Serie A after win at Genoa

    GENOA, Italy (AP) — A second-half goal from Luis Alberto gave Lazio a 1-0 win at Genoa on Friday and moved the capital club into sixth spot in Serie A and within touching distance of a Champions League spot. The result snapped Genoa’s four-game unbeaten run and was another good result for a visitor which has won four of its last five league games. Lazio was one place and one point ahead of Atalanta, which has two games in hand. The top five teams in Serie A are guaranteed a place in next year’s

  • Man Utd confirm Jason Wilcox as technical director in boost to transfer plans

    Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Jason Wilcox as technical director in a huge boost to the club’s summer transfer planning.

  • Columbine survivors can’t believe that the shootings haven’t stopped 25 years later

    Since 1999, the name of a Colorado high school has been tragically enshrined in the public consciousness – and has become synonymous with mass shootings. But those left reeling by the massacre at Columbine have watched in horror as mass shootings are replicated over and over again across the US, writes Sheila Flynn

  • History with Maple Leafs could help Bruins snap short playoff slump

    BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins may have found just the solution to their playoff slump: A first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins haven't lost a playoff series to Toronto since 1959, winning six straight series that have helped extend their Original Six rival's Stanley Cup drought to more than half of a century. Boston won all four regular-season matchups with the Leafs during the regular season — all motivation, no doubt, for Toronto to turn things around. “I think just wi

  • Alberta spring signals another Oilers-Kings NHL playoff showdown

    EDMONTON — There are a few sure signs of spring in Alberta. The snow turns to slush, the Canada geese return to the ponds, lakes and streams, and the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings face each other in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The two rivals will meet in the first round for the third season in a row, with the Oilers looking to make it a hat trick of victories. The Oilers rebounded from a 3-2 series deficit to win a seven-game thriller two seasons ago. In 2023, the

  • Startups Weekly: Is the wind going out of the AI sails?

    Welcome to Startups WeeklySign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. The report highlights a notable decrease in both private and corporate investments in the AI sector for the second consecutive year, with overall investments dropping by 20% in 2023 compared to the previous year, Kyle reports. Despite this general downturn, certain segments like generative AI continue to attract significant funding, indicating a selective yet substantial interest in specific AI applications.

  • Best Buy Power Up Sale: Score up to 75% on top tech until Sunday — from Apple, Sony and more

    Save 100s on laptops, tablets, appliances and more during Best Buy's big sale.

  • Tesla Semi trucks in short supply for PepsiCo as its rivals use competing EV big rigs

    Key Tesla customer PepsiCo made initial payments for 100 Tesla Semis in 2017, intending to use the electric-truck fleet to haul its Cheetos, Lays potato chips and Pepsi soda pop to retailers. But according to the food-and-drinks maker and one of its executives with knowledge of the deal, PepsiCo was using only 36 of Teslas promised 100 electric trucks as of this month. The shortfall, which hasn't been previously disclosed, lays bare the challenges for Tesla as it seeks to become a high-volume player in the truck-manufacturing business.

  • Viewer video shows aftermath of Stuart police pursuit

    WPTV has obtained viewer video that shows the aftermath of a Stuart police pursuit that ended in a fatal crash.

  • Emma Raducanu beaten by Iga Swiatek but Briton on upward trajectory

    A resurgent Emma Raducanu played some of her best tennis in recent memory but fell short in a compelling quarter-final battle against world number one Iga Swiatek at the Stuttgart Open.

  • Mets release New York-inspired City Connect jerseys

    Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and senior MLB analyst Jordan Shusterman react to the newly released New York Mets City Connect jerseys that pay homage to Queens and New York City. Hear the full conversation on the “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

  • IPO Stock Of The Week: Cava Stock Looks For Support At Key Level

    Cava stock: The Mediterranean restaurant leader is one of the best stocks to watch right now, looking for support at a key level.

  • Tesla Stock Dropped Below $149. Where It Could Be Headed Next.

    Tesla stock was falling for a sixth day Friday. Whether the decline is in response to news that the company is recalling its avant-garde Cybertruck to fix a problem with the accelerator pedal or simply because of weakness in the overall market doesn’t really matter. In this case, the “accelerator pedal pad may dislodge and become trapped by the interior trim,” the notice said.

  • MasterCraft Boat, SentinelOne, and More Stocks See Action From Activist Investors

    Coliseum Capital increased its stake in boat maker MasterCraft. Insight Venture Partners sold shares of cybersecurity firm SentinelOne.

  • Robert Olstein Bolsters Portfolio with a 1% Stake in The Middleby Corp

    Insights from the Olstein Financial Alert Fund's Latest 13F Filing

  • What’s the True Financial Value of a First Job? Let’s Go Beyond the Paycheck

    Working your first job affords you valuable lessons that are beyond monetary gain. "A first job is like the first taste of responsibility," said Rhett Stubbendeck, CEO and founder of Leverage...

  • Emma Raducanu beaten by Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart Open quarter-finals as winning run ends

    Reigning world No1 eventually prevails after epic first set in Germany