Could Charlotte FC add reinforcements in the upcoming Secondary Transfer Window?
With at least one open Designated Player spot at their disposal, head coach Dean Smith indicated on Thursday that he has a position in mind to bolster the squad.
"I think we need a 9 at the club," Smith told reporters. "I want a natural goal-scorer who's going to go and compete with all this."
Should that come to fruition, it could boost a Charlotte side that's emerged as one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024 season.
Through Matchday 23, Charlotte are fourth in the Eastern Conference table with a 9W-6L-5D record (32 points). However, they've managed that largely on the strength of their stingy defense, with just 23 goals scored in 20 matches.
Earlier this year, Charlotte transferred DP striker Enzo Copetti to Argentina's Rosario Central, with forward Patrick Agyemang emerging as a centerpiece in attack (5g/3a).
Swiderski returning from loan
Smith also confirmed Thursday that Polish DP Karol Swiderski is returning from his loan with Serie A side Hellas Verona next month. The 27-year-old logged 22g/10a in 61 matches for Charlotte in 2022-23 before the loan and competed for Poland at UEFA Euro 2024.
Swiderski won't be eligible to feature until the club's match at Austin FC on July 20 after the Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 18.
"He's in our plans because he becomes our player again," Smith said of Swiderski. "He went out on loan, they decided not to take him and we'll happily welcome him back.
"I don't think it'll take too long [for him to re-acclimate], to be honest. He's been playing in the Euros, so he's had to stay fit and remain fit for that. He knows the club, he knows everything about it. He's trained with me for a few weeks when I first came here as well, so he knows me as well. So I shouldn't think it will be too hard for him to fit in straight away."
Smith sees Swiderski as capable of playing up top, or in any spot in the attacking midfield, giving him a versatile option.
"Listen, he decided he wanted to go and pursue Europe and we were happy for him to go and do that," Smith said. "It's not happened at the moment for him to join anyone, so he's coming back. And as I say, we want good players at the club, I believe he's a good player. As long as he comes back, his attitude and application are top like it was before he left, then not a problem."
For the moment, Smith said he's pleased with the strides his side has taken during his first year at the helm.
They'll put that progress to the test on Saturday at Houston Dynamo FC (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
"I'm happy where they are, there's still a lot more to come," Smith said. "As I keep saying, there's always a lot to improve on. I didn't like the first 20 minutes of the game last week. I felt that we sat off the opposition too much even though they were the home team and it became a bit of a nothing 20 minutes for us. And we've got to do better than that. So I'll be pushing to make sure that our standards are there right from the start of the game."
