Charlotte FC has made a statement signing for the second half of its season. The club announced on July 13 that it has brought in French forward Allan Saint-Maximin on a three-year Designated Player contract that runs through the 2028-29 campaign, with the winger taking up both a Designated Player spot and an international roster slot. General manager Zoran Krneta called him “an elite attacking talent who has consistently performed at the highest levels,” pointing to the creativity and flair he expects to lift Charlotte’s attack right away.
The pedigree is what stands out. Saint-Maximin spent four seasons with Newcastle United in the Premier League, where he scored 13 goals and set up 21 more across 124 appearances and became a fan favorite at St. James’ Park. His final year on Tyneside ended with Newcastle finishing fourth and reaching the Champions League for the first time since 2003.
His form since has stayed sharp. After joining RC Lens in February, he helped the club win the Coupe de France for the first time in its history and push to a second-place Ligue 1 finish, only the sixth in the club’s 120 years, contributing four goals and three assists in 13 matches. Before that, a 2023 move took him from Newcastle to Saudi side Al-Ahli in a reported deal near $30 million, where he recorded four goals and nine assists in 30 league games. A 2024-25 loan at Fenerbahçe followed, one that included Champions League and Europa League action and eight goal contributions, along with a Liga MX stint at Club América worth five goal contributions in 16 appearances.
The 29-year-old’s path started early. He broke through at 16 with Saint-Étienne, earned a move to AS Monaco in 2015, took loans in Germany with Hannover 96 and in France with Bastia, then settled at OGC Nice in 2017, where he posted 11 goals and 15 assists over 74 appearances. Listed at 5-foot-8 and a native of Châtenay-Malabry, France, he joins Charlotte as a free agent.
