Charlotte FC transfers Tavares and Pedro to new sides

CHARLOTTE FC

Charlotte FC transferred forward Iuri Tavares to Croatian first-division side NK Varazdin on a permanent basis.

Charlotte FC shipped a pair of players away in a single day.

The club transferred forward Iuri Tavares to Croatian first division side NK Varazdin on a permanent basis. The deal includes a sell-on clause where Charlotte retains 20% of any future sale. In a similar move, defender João Pedro went to Polish first division team Radomiak Radom with a sell-on clause where the Crown keeps 40% of any future sale.

Tavares has appeared in seven matches across all competitions in 2025, a steep drop from his first season.

“Iuri came to Charlotte and believed in the vision of our player pathway joining Crown Legacy during the first season,” general manager Zoran Krneta said in a statement. “He showed he belonged at the first team level and was a great professional both on and off the pitch. At this point in his career, a move for consistent playing time is important and we wish Iuri all the best in his career.”

Tavares’ first stop in Charlotte was with MLS Next Pro club Crown Legacy FC as the first permanent transfer ahead of its 2023 inaugural season. Tavares appeared in 27 matches across the regular season and playoffs in his first season with a team-best 12 goals and four assists. He scored a pair of goals in his debut against New York Red Bulls II.

That Crown Legacy stint earned Tavares a first team contract for the 2024 campaign, where he played in 32 matches across all competitions. He scored his first MLS goal in a draw with Vancouver and finished the season with three goals and an assist.

Pedro, 22, joined Rio Ave FC in January. A native of Brazil, he played in six games across all competitions with 276 total minutes. Before moving to Portugal, Pedro was with Crown Legacy before playing seven matches for Charlotte FC in 2024.

“This permanent move for JP is in the best interest of both the player and the club,” Krneta said. 

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