Has Liel Abada played his way to a new contract?
By Billy McGee (@iambillymcgee)
Liel Abada’s contract with Charlotte FC is set to expire at the end of 2026 with a club option for 2027. His recent play is raising the question of how they should handle his contract situation.
He faced some struggles on the field in his first two seasons with Charlotte, scoring just 14 goals and assisting another four in 63 appearances for the Crown across all competitions, having seven goals and two assists in each season. As his time with the club went on, he started playing less and less, with Kerwin Vargas getting equal or more playing time than Abada.
The departure of Vargas and arrival of Allan Saint-Maximin over the summer has led to Abada hitting his stride and having his most productive stretch as a member of Charlotte FC. As of right now, his season totals sit at six goals and seven assists in 24 games across all competitions, but he has performed better than that recently, scoring four goals and assisting two in the nine games played since Maxi arrived.
With his up-and-down tenure in the Queen City, we pose the question: Should Charlotte FC bring back Liel Abada or let him walk?
Argument for keeping Abada as a designated player:
Abada seems to be fitting in well with the current squad and is a good complement to Maxi, something we did not see from him with Wilfried Zaha.
If he stays on the pace he is on while playing with Maxi, then he will finish the season with 10 goals and nine assists, a G/A output that more than justifies a designated player spot.
Argument for bringing Abada back on a max-TAM contract:
Keeps a player around that we know can produce double-digit goal contributions
Gives the club more roster flexibility with an open DP spot to bring in another difference-maker.
Argument for letting Abada walk:
Frees up roster space and money to acquire multiple new wingers to replace both Abada and Vargas.
No longer paying big money to a player who has had multiple underwhelming seasons for the team.
