UPDATE (June 27) – Charlotte FC have loaned midfielder Alan Franco to Argentine Primera División side CA Talleres for the remainder of the season, the club announced Monday.
He played in 10 MLS games for the expansion club after originally being acquired on loan from Brazil's Atlético Mineiro for the 2022 campaign.
“We thank Alan for his contributions this season for Charlotte FC and wish him well in his career,” sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a release. “This move opens up both a senior roster slot and international roster slot as we approach the summer transfer window beginning on July 7.”
ORIGINAL (June 24) – Charlotte FC and Ecuador international midfielder Alan Franco are poised to part ways, sources have confirmed.
Franco hasn’t traveled for the expansion club’s MLS Week 16 match at CF Montréal on Saturday evening (7:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+) while anticipating a move to Argentine Primera División side CA Talleres.
Though Talleres announced Friday Franco has joined the club, sources say the deal isn’t completely finalized.
The 23-year-old originally joined Charlotte in December 2021 on a year-long loan from Atlético Mineiro, last year’s Brazilian Serie A winners. Earlier in his career, Franco played under ex-Charlotte head coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez at Independiente del Valle as the Ecuadorian club won the 2019 Copa Sudamericana.
Franco has one assist across 10 games (nine starts) for Charlotte, but hasn’t featured since Ramirez departed during the June international break.
Should Franco formally exit, it’d open senior and international roster slots ahead of the MLS Secondary Transfer Window (runs July 7 to Aug. 4). The likes of Brandt Bronico, Jordy Alcivar and Sergio Ruiz are among Charlotte’s key options in central midfield.
Franco would be Charlotte’s second outgoing move in their brief MLS existence, having transferred Australian international midfielder Riley McGree to English Championship side Middlesbrough before playing a game. They also traded defender Tristan Blackmon (to Vancouver) and forward Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (to LAFC) immediately after picking them in the Expansion Draft.
Charlotte, now led by interim manager Christian Lattanzio, are eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. They’ve accumulated a 6W-8L-2D record, thriving at Bank of America Stadium and still searching for a first road victory.
