TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
- NSH receive: McKinze Gaines
- CLT receive: 2024 SuperDraft pick (second round)
Nashville SC have completed another trade, announcing Thursday they have acquired winger McKinze Gaines from Charlotte FC in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 38 overall) in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas.
Gaines, 25, arrives in Nashville after tallying 3g/5a in 51 MLS matches for Charlotte and Austin FC. A former US youth international, Gaines began his professional career in Germany by competing for the likes of Darmstadt 98 and Hannover 96.
“McKinze has the pace to be an absolute goal threat and is a very willing runner who looks to create and finish scoring chances,” Nashville general manager Mike Jacobs said in a release.
Alongside now-Nashville teammate Jacob Shaffelburg, Gaines gives head coach Gary Smith another speedy winger to potentially replace Fafà Picault, who is out of contract. He'll hope to improve an attack that, during the 2023 season, scored just 39 times in 34 regular-season games (bottom-third in the Eastern Conference).
As Gaines leaves Charlotte, the club keeps Kerwin Vargas and Kamil Jozwiak as first-choice wingers. Additional signings are likely after CLTFC appointed head coach Dean Smith.
In 2023, Nashville (7th in East) and Charlotte (9th in East) both had brief Audi MLS Cup Playoffs trips.
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
