TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
A day before the MLS SuperDraft, Orlando City SC acquired one of the college soccer’s premier players.
On Thursday, the Lions announced a trade that landed them the Homegrown rights to Cam Lindley from the Chicago Fire in exchange for defender Rafael Ramos and $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money ($50,000 in 2018 and $50,000 in 2019).
Orlando then signed Lindley – who starred at the University of North Carolina over the past two seasons – to a four-year contract with club options.
“We are excited to add Cam to our squad,” Lions general manager Niki Budalic said in a statement. “He is a technical midfielder that has stood out in his two seasons at UNC. His passion ability and tactical awareness will allow him to fit in very well in our squad. We look forward to Cam joining us in Orlando.”
A prized Chicago Homegrown prospect who won a national championship with the Fire’s U-18 academy team, Lindley had seven goals and 13 assists for UNC in his sophomore season to win ACC Midfielder of the Year honors. A year before that, he was an NSCAA Second Team All-American and the TopDrawerSoccer National Freshman of the Year.
Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez told MLSsoccer.com last week that they offered a Homegrown contract to Lindley. Chicago signed Indiana star Grant Lillard — a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist — to a Homegrown deal earlier this month.
One of eight players to move with Orlando from USL to MLS in 2015, Ramos made 39 appearances with the Lions over the last three seasons but only two in 2017.
