The Seattle Sounders officially announced their acquisition of 22-year-old Serbian midfielder Nikola Petković from Charlotte FC on Thursday. In exchange for the season-long loan, the Sounders send Charlotte a third-round pick in the 2027 SuperDraft and up to $250,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money if certain performance metrics are achieved.
At the end of the loan, the Sounders will have a purchase option of between $500,000 and $1 million depending on various performance metrics, Sounder at Heart has learned.
Petković, who was first signed by Charlotte’s MLS Next Pro affiliate Crown Legacy in 2023 on a $3 million transfer from Serbia’s FK Čukarički, will count as a U22 Initiative Player and occupy an international roster spot. He has made more than 30 appearances for various Serbia youth national teams and even earned a senior national team cap as a 19-year-old, a 2-1 win over the United States.
“Nikola is a young talent who has already gained valuable experience at both the club and international level,” Sounders FC General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel said in a team statement. “He’s been in a very competitive environment in Charlotte over the past several years and understands what’s required to be successful in our league. We believe this loan gives us an opportunity to work with him to get him closer to achieving his goal of being a weekly contributor at the first team level.”
Jeremiah Oshan
After a standout campaign with Crown Legacy as a 20-year-old, Petković joined the first-team and made 22 appearances across all competitions. Among his highlights were his MLS goal against the Portland Timbers and an assist against D.C. United.
Although Petković didn’t seem to fit into Charlotte’s plans after Dean Smith took over as coach ahead of the 2024 season, the Sounders were apparently intrigued by what they saw.
“I’m looking forward to getting Nikola into our environment and seeing him with the group,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “He’s a player with a good skillset and someone who has familiarity with our league, and we want to see how those traits translate within our system. This loan gives us an opportunity to work with him and understand how he can help the team over the course of the season.”
