Never played in MLS
It is one of the more remarkable stories of the winter transfer window. According to MLSSoccer.com writer Tom Bogert, Major League Soccer expansion side Charlotte FC are on the verge of selling 23-year-old Australian midfielder Riley McGree to Middlesbrough for a fee that could be as high as $9 million. A transfer in that category would make McGree one of the ten most expensive outgoing transfers in MLS history (overview).
Source: Charlotte FC and Middlesbrough have just about finalized a deal for Australian int’l midfielder Riley McGree.
Deal with Celtic fell through, as has been reported. Can’t confirm final fee, but reports suggest upwards of £5-7m. Whatever it is, good business for Charlotte.
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) January 13, 2022
The transfer would also represent a significant profit for Charlotte FC. Transfermarkt understands that the MLS club paid about $500,000 to secure the player’s rights from Adelaide United in October 2020. At that point, Charlotte was not scheduled to kickstart their first-ever season in MLS for over a year. As a result, McGree was loaned out to Birmingham City, scoring three goals and two assists in 30 Championship games.
Under normal circumstances, McGree was scheduled to return to the club this January and join the club’s preparation ahead of Charlotte’s inaugural season. But McGree has generated significant interest in the UK during his loan and was close to joining Scottish side Celtic before Middlesbrough came in with a significantly improved better offer for the 23-year-old, whose current market value is $660,000.
