Charlotte FC sign Brandon Cambridge after acquiring homegrown rights from Vancouver

MLSsoccer staff

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

CLT receive: Brandon Cambridge
VAN receive: Up to $150k GAM, sell-on fee

Charlotte FC have signed midfielder Brandon Cambridge through the 2024 MLS season with option years in 2025 and 2026, the club announced Wednesday.

The 20-year-old Canadian inked a homegrown deal after a standout career at the University of Portland.

To acquire Cambridge, Charlotte traded $50,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in exchange for the player’s homegrown territory exclusivity. Vancouver also have a sell-on fee and could get $100k in conditional GAM.

“We were really impressed with Brandon during our scouting across the country at the collegiate level as we prepared for the 2023 MLS SuperDraft,” Charlotte sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a release. “We are pleased to sign him to a homegrown MLS contract as we continue our goal of developing young, talented players.

“Brandon has shown his potential at Portland and during his time in the Vancouver Whitecaps youth academy. We look forward to having him join us.”

Cambridge played 42 games for Portland across three seasons, scoring 16 goals and tallying 13 assists. In November, he was named the WCC Offensive Player of the Year – the first-ever University of Portland player to win the award.

Charlotte completed a similar move last winter ahead of their 2022 expansion season, signing midfielder Chris Hegardt to a homegrown deal. Hegardt had played college soccer at Georgetown University, and CLTFC sent allocation money to Seattle Sounders FC for the transaction.