MLS side Charlotte FC, who currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, have had a bid for Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Kelman rejected, as per Fabrizio Romano.
The American side are looking for a replacement for Patrick Agyemang, who joined Derby County following an impressive start to the campaign.
Who Is Charlie Kelman?
Kelman was born in Basildon but spent much of his childhood in the USA, even representing the United States at under-18 and under-20 level internationally.
His first appearances in senior football came for Southend United. He scored once in 10 league outings for the Shrimpers in the 2018/19 season.
The following campaign was one of struggle for the men at Roots Hall as they were relegated to the fourth tier. However, Kelman came out of the campaign with a lot of credit. He ended the season as the Shrimpers’ top scorer as he found the back of the net seven times in 19 appearances.
This prompted Championship side Queens Park Rangers to sign the frontman in the summer of 2020, when he was just 18 years old. He has made 23 appearances for the R’s over the years, but never found the back of the net.
The 2021/22 campaign saw Kelman join Gillingham on loan, but he struggled in League Two. His loan was initially cut short due to a lack of playing time, but a managerial change for the Gills saw him return to the club. The 23-year-old found the back of the net just twice in 26 outings.
The following season saw a slight improvement. The striker went on loan to Leyton Orient and featured regularly, but scored just seven times in 43 league games as a fair number of his appearances came from the bench.
After the R’s tried and failed to integrate him into the first team and he had yet another unspectacular loan spell at Wigan Athletic during the 2023/24 season, Kelman returned to Brisbane Road at the start of the 2024/25 camapign.
The English-born man finally burst into life in men’s football. He was an ever-present for Richie Wellens’ side, featuring a staggering 61 times in all competitions and appearing in every league game.
He ended the campaign with a staggering 27 goals in all competitions and 21 goals in League One, making him the highest-scorer in the third tier.
Writer’s View
Letting Kelman move to the MLS would be a strange move from a Queens Park Rangers perspective.
They struggled up front last season as Zan Celar failed to find his feet in English football, whilst Michael Frey was solid, if unspectacular.
Kelman was the highest scorer in the division below, and he should be able to thrive in the Championship with service from the likes of Ilias Chair.
However, the MLS side may have too much financial for QPR to compete with.
