Luca de la Torre in, and Liel Abada potentially out: The state of Charlotte FC's roster heading into 2026
- Brian Maurer
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
By Brian Maurer
With the recent addition of midfielder Luca de la Torre, Charlotte FC now has 17 of its 20 senior roster spots filled for the upcoming season. There have also been recent reports that the Crown is receiving interest for Designated Player, Liel Abada, from clubs in the English Championship.
Here is a breakdown of the current state of Charlotte's senior roster with de la Torre added and the options the Crown has if they move on from Abada:
Goalkeeper
Name | 2025 Roster Designation | Contract | Guaranteed Salary as of fall 2025 |
Kristijan Kahlina | TAM Player | 2026; option 2027 | $788,750 |
Now that the club has moved on from Drake Callender, the salary cap hit from the goalkeeper position makes sense again. It would have been a wild amount of dead cap money burned if there were two starting-caliber goalkeeper salaries on the senior roster heading into the 2026 season.
Kahlina's salary currently takes up around 5% of the club's salary spend, and that salary cap portion should decrease as more new signings come in.
Defenders
Name | 2025 Roster Designation | Contract | Guaranteed Salary as of fall 2025 |
Nathan Byrne | TAM Player | 2026; option 2027 | $498,750 |
Andrew Privett | 2028; option 2029 | $251,400 | |
Tim Ream | TAM Player | 2026; option 2027 | $1,127,750 |
Harry Toffolo | TAM Player (Int'l) | 2028; option 2029 | $1,020,000 |
Total Salary: | $2,897,900 |
The defensive line has been invested in, but far more is likely still required to meet the needs of a grinding MLS season. I would expect at least one more, if not two more, senior roster signings along the backline to add both depth and starting-level competition. The defensive line currently takes up about 17% of the club's total salary, but that portion should go up as the winter rolls along.
Midfielders
Name | 2025 Roster Designation | Contract | Guaranteed Salary as of fall 2025 |
Brandt Bronico | 2027; option 2028 | $389,000 | |
Baye Coulibaly | U22 Initiative (Int'l) | 2028; option 2029 | $269,500 |
Djibril Diani | International | 2026 | $337,944 |
Luca de la Torre | TAM | 2029; option 2030 | $1,644,295 |
Nikola Petkovic | U22 Initiative (Int'l) | 2026; option 2027 | $466,250 |
Ashley Westwood | TAM | 2026; option 2027 | $783,333 |
Total Salary: | $3,890,322 |
The Crown's midfield finally got another big signing with the de la Torre transfer. The midfield line was an area with a desperate need for investment, when the highest-paid player in the middle is 35. The other odd man out in this group right now is Nikola Petkovic. He is on a cap-friendly deal as a U22 Initiative player, but the transfer fee (~$3m) and the roster designation won't be worth a third year of limited appearances.
The Serbian currently has as many MLS appearances as he does MLS NEXT Pro appearances. He is entering his third season with the First Team. Petkovic either needs to find his way on the field, or Charlotte needs to find a way to get that U22 Initiative spot opened up.
The Charlotte midfield is taking up about 24% of the salary spend, and that number could increase if Petkovic gets moved and more reinforcements are brought in.
Forwards
Name | 2025 Roster Designation | Contract as of fall | Guaranteed Salary as of fall 2025 |
Liel Abada | Designated Player (Int'l) | 2026; option 2027 | $2,548,500 |
Pep Biel | 2026 Designated Player (Int'l) | 2026; option 2027 | ~$2,000,000* |
Archie Goodwin | International | 2028 | $341,187 |
Idan Toklomati | U22 Initiative (Int'l) | 2027; option 2028 | $452,700 |
Kerwin Vargas | 2027; option 2028 | $683,750 | |
Wilfried Zaha | Designated Player (Int'l) | June 2026 | $2,751,667 |
Total Salary: | $8,777,804 |
Charlotte has spent a bunch of money on their forward line, which is pretty standard for MLS, given the roster rules. Things could get interesting if Abada is sold during this winter window. It would free up a DP and international spot, giving the team flexibility to either sign a new DP or U22 Initiative, depending on which model the team opts for.
The Crown also has a high-level prospect in Rodolfo Aloko, who was brought in on a large transfer fee and will be joining this preseason. He would likely require a U22 Initiative spot on the senior roster if he doesn't start at Crown Legacy.
The forwards account for about 54% of the salary spend. Given some of the rumors swirling around the club, that number could increase even more if Abada is sold and a big incoming transfer hits the books.
Overall state of Charlotte FC's roster
The de la Torre signing added an upgrade in investment in the position group that needed the most spending. The Crown still has three open senior roster spots, and looking at their salaries released last fall and by estimating the amount of allocation money the club currently has, there should be plenty of spending power to bolster the roster with more moves this winter.
This is also supported by several rumors and reports of players Charlotte is currently interested in (e.g., Antoine Griezmann, David Alaba, and Harvey Elliott). The Crown looks to be willing to spend and make win-now type moves. Those moves could be enhanced even further if an Abada transfer comes through.
*There is no report yet on Biel's new salary, it has been reported that his new permanent contract that he earned based on his performance in 2025 will make him a DP, so the above $2m salary is an estimation.