By Billy McGee
July 15, 2025
Photo: Kurt Shackelford / CLTure
Charlotte FC has reached an agreement with EFL Championship side Derby County FC to transfer their leading goalscorer, Patrick Agyemang. The record transfer fee is reported to be around $8 million with add-ons, and Charlotte will retain a sell-on percentage, meaning the club will receive a share of any future transfer fee.
This comes after Charlotte and Agyemang were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension to keep the striker in the Queen City. The 24-year-old began attracting interest from European clubs during the offseason after leading the team in goals in the 2024 season and earning his first call-up to the United States Men’s National Team in January.
“Patrick’s rise over the past 18 months put him on the radar of many clubs across Europe, and ultimately Derby County’s offer convinced the club and player to reach an agreement,” said General Manager Zoran Krneta. “To get a deal done it needs to be in the best interest of the club first and foremost, but also of the player, and in this case, it achieves both.”
Agyemang first joined the club through the MLS SuperDraft, when Charlotte used the 12th overall pick in 2023 to select him out of the University of Rhode Island. During the 2023 season, he appeared in 12 regular-season games for Charlotte, scoring one goal, and also scoring in the club’s 5-2 playoff loss to the New York Red Bulls.
He broke out in his second season, recording 10 goals and five assists across 31 regular-season appearances. In the 2025 MLS campaign with Charlotte, he scored six goals in 16 games. Agyemang has also tallied five goals in 10 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and he becomes the first player in Charlotte FC history to be drafted by the club and sold in a multi-million-dollar transfer.
With Agyemang’s departure, Charlotte now has an opening at center forward, with Idan Toklomati the only true number nine currently on the roster. The MLS summer transfer window opens on July 24, and Charlotte has an open Designated Player spot that could be used to bring in an impact striker to replace Agyemang.
It’s a big week for soccer news in Charlotte, as a press conference will be held at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday morning with Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, David Tepper, Nicole Tepper, and Kristi Coleman to announce Charlotte as the host city for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.
The club will also debut its new kit against D.C. United on Wednesday night. The design pays homage to Charlotte’s first professional soccer team, the Carolina Lightnin’, who played in the ASL from 1981 to 1983 at American Legion Memorial Stadium and won the city’s first professional sports championship.
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