Sporting KC trades homegrown player to Major League Soccer newcomer Charlotte FC

Sporting Kansas City has traded 21-year-old outside back Jaylin Lindsey to Charlotte FC, a Major League Soccer expansion franchise, in exchange for $100,000 in General Allocation Money.

Sporting KC could pocket another $250,000 in General Allocation Money, or GAM, through easily attainable performance incentives for Lindsey in Charlotte, as well as a 15% sell-on clause should Lindsey be traded or sold by his new club.

GAM can be used to reduce the amount that a non-designated player costs against the salary cap. That amount can be reduced to the league-minimum salary, or it can reduce the cap hit carried by a typically high-dollar designated player.

The trade comes just two days before the MLS Expansion Draft, which will see Charlotte select five unprotected players from around the league for its inaugural season.

The deal leaves Sporting KC shallow at outside back. Sporting recently declined contract options for left backs Luis Martins and Amadou Dia, so the only outside backs currently on KC’s roster are 35-year-old Graham Zusi and 18-year-old homegrown Kayden Pierre.

Vermes confirmed that the club is in the market for outside backs this winter ahead of the 2022 season.

Lindsey had his breakout year in 2020 and made 14 appearances for Kansas City in 2021 before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in August’s Leagues Cup loss to Leon.

He will return to his hometown of Charlotte after joining the Sporting KC Academy in 2015, where he made more than 30 appearances between the U-16 and U-18 teams before signing with the first team as a homegrown player in September 2017.

Lindsey played for Charlotte Soccer Academy before moving to Kansas City.

This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Sporting KC trades homegrown player to Major League Soccer newcomer Charlotte FC."