Charlotte native Jaylin Lindsey will play for city’s new MLS team
Charlotte FC has added its first Charlotte-born player to its inaugural Major League Soccer roster. Jaylin Lindsey, a 21-year-old outside back, will return to the Queen City via a trade with Sporting Kansas City.
Charlotte is trading $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Sporting KC and will retain Lindsey’s Homegrown rights, the team announced Sunday during the MLS trade window. Charlotte will send up to $225,000 in additional GAM to Kansas City if certain performance-based incentives are met, with a 15% fee due to SKC for any future transfer.
Lindsey signed with Sporting as a 17-year-old Homegrown Player in 2017 after moving through the club’s Academy ranks. He appeared in 36 MLS regular season and playoff matches (29 starts) for the club’s first team, earning significant minutes the last two seasons while veteran defender Graham Zusi was out with a foot injury that cost him much of 2020 season.
“Jaylin is a player who bring MLS experience to our back line and is versatile enough to play both outside back positions,” Charlotte FC sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “He’s still a young player with a lot of potential and we have a head coach that is excited to work with him to maximize his talents.”
Lindsey tallied two assists in 14 regular season and playoff games (13 starts) in 2020 and continued to earn playing time in the Peter Vermes-led system this year. He appeared in 14 matches (nine starts) and contributed two goals and an assist during the 2021 MLS season. Vermes has been complimentary of Lindsey’s attitude, calling him competitive and a “team guy.”
“I see him as one of those leaders amongst the younger guys for the future,” Vermes told the Kansas City Star in Sept. 2020. “He cares about winning. He cares about the team. He’s a very mature kid and so I think he’s done very well up until this point.”
Lindsey was featured in many U.S. Men’s National Youth Team matches, making more than 30 combined appearances for the U-16s and U-18s. In 2017, he helped the U.S. to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, starting all three group stage matches before missing the knockout rounds with an injury, and was part of a stacked roster that included international standouts Sergiño Dest, Josh Sargent and Tim Weah.
In May 2016, Lindsey became the first American player born in 2000 or later to appear in a professional match playing for the Swope Park Rangers, Sporting KC’s USL affiliate, and shortly after began training with the U.S. U-17 squad.
He played for Charlotte Soccer Academy while earning call-ups to U14 and U15 Men’s National Team camps. Lindsey is the second North Carolina-affiliated player to join Charlotte FC’s roster. Defender Brandt Bronico played for the Charlotte 49ers and grew up in High Point, N.C.
By acquiring Lindsey’s Homegrown rights, Charlotte FC should have more flexibility when it comes to building out the rest of its roster since, in most cases, the salaries for Homegrown players do not counted towards the cap.
“It’s always important to sign players that are born and raised in the community where your Club exists and it’s exciting to welcome our first Charlotte native to CLTFC,” Krneta said.
Charlotte FC confirmed additional roster moves Sunday, including a trade with LAFC to bring its first goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega to the club, as well as a deal with Nashville for two international roster slots in exchange for GAM. The MLS expansion draft, in which Charlotte will be the only team selecting, is Dec. 14. Charlotte FC will be able to add up to five players from other clubs during the draft before the 2022 season.
Charlotte FC is coached by former Independiete del Valle and SC Internacional coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez.
This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 10:48 AM.
