Charlotte FC to sign USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre
De La Torre joins on a permanent deal. He spent 2025 on loan at San Diego FC in Major League Soccer.
Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images
Charlotte FC is set to sign U.S. international midfielder Luca de la Torre from Celta Vigo, sources briefed on the deal have told The Athletic.
De La Torre joins on a permanent deal. He spent 2025 on loan at San Diego FC in Major League Soccer.
The 27-year-old made 37 appearances across all competitions for San Diego, who delivered the best expansion season in modern MLS history by topping the Western Conference and getting to the conference final.
De La Torre was a key player for much of the year, but fell out of the starting lineup by season’s end.
The midfielder has 32 caps with the U.S. national team but was left off the final two squads of 2025. De la Torre still hopes to make the Word Cup squad.
In Charlotte, de la Torre gives head coach Dean Smith a much-needed ball progressing and technical option in an industrious midfield. The club had their best season in MLS in 2025, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to NYCFC.
Charlotte’s squad is headlined by Wilfried Zaha, Pep Biel, Ashley Westwood and USMNT center back Tim Ream.
Tom Bogert is a Senior Writer for The Athletic, providing exclusive, original and unique insights on MLS and the U.S. national team. He has previously written for MLSsoccer.com, The Guardian, and more.