Charlie Davies Signs Year-Long Loan With DC United

Just as importantly, they appear to have done all of this without really breaking the bank. Davies is reportedly getting paid about $225,000 in base salary from DC United, meaning he’s not costing them a Designated Player spot. Using last season’s salaries as a guide, United still appear to have about $400,000 in salary-cap room.

Give credit to coach Ben Olsen. He took over the team last year and United was roundly questioned for giving him the job after first dismissing that possibility. Since being installed, though, he has shown a clear preference for certain kinds of players and has done an admirable job of finding ways to get them.

It’s official: DC United have signed striker Charlie Davies on loan from FC Sochaux for the 2011 season, with a press conference coming at 2 PM ET to announce the deal. United report that Davies underwent the full accoutrement of medical testing to ensure he wasn’t hampered by injuries sustained in the horrific car wreck of October 2009. Davies impressed both mentally and physically and the club is thrilled to have him on board.

Due to being in the top spot in the MLS allocation ranking, DC had first dibs on requiring the forward. The terms of the deal had already been negotiated when Davies headed out to United’s training camp in Florida, but the club wanted to be absolutely sure Davies was in top condition. With that hurdle out of the way, United fans can look forward to watching Davies as he helps the club rebuild after its dismal run last season. But more than that, fans of both DC and the USA will be thrilled to have a close up look as Davies rebuilds himself, looking to regain his spot in the national side.

Goff has been reporting that the deal would be worth about $300,000 a year, a little short of Designated Player money, and that DC United would have the option to buy his contract from Ligue 1 side Sochaux. It’s unclear if that financial arrangement is still in place, as recent reports have suggested the deal was not as firm as DC United had initially reported.

Davies played well during his time in Florida with DC United, scoring two goals and adding an assist in one half of play against the Trinidad and Tobago U-20 team. He has accompanied the team back to DC.

Davies has been training with DC United for almost two weeks. Initial reports suggested DC United already had a financial deal in place for Davies if he was deemed fit, but those reports are apparently not true as the sides are still hammering out the agreement. DC United could certainly use someone with Davies’ skills, as they scored just 21 goals last year, the lowest season total in MLS history.

“The only thing I’m thinking about right now is gettin ga chance to play for DC United and to getting back into form,” Davies said. “As far as my future, that’s the only thing i’m thinking about right now. I just want the players and coaches to have confidence in me and know that I can turn this thing around and help this team out.”

It wasn’t just his being out past curfew when that fateful accident occurred on Oct. 13, 2009. It wasn’t just the way he seemed to be speaking out of turn when declaring himself fit for the World Cup. It wasn’t just when he was arrested during that bizarre speeding incident last October. It was also the way he never seemed to entirely understand why those incidents were upsetting his fans and supporters.

But times have been tough. United have missed the playoffs for three years running and last year set a MLS record for goal-scoring futility (22 goals). A lot of the problems can be traced back to an inability to identify talent. Just look at last year’s signing of Pablo Hernandez, a player who was brought on loan for about $250,000 a year, made 14 appearances, never scored and was let go at the end of the season.

As Black and Red United’s Martin Shatzer points out, maybe the signing of Charlie Davies is a sign that things are turning around. While Davies suiting up for United is not exactly a done deal, the way DC put itself in position to even have that option seems to be a positive sign.

Here’s the full statement: “Charlie Davies is expected to join D.C. United in Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday for a week-long evaluation period, which will include training and game time with the first team and a full medical evaluation by team doctors in DC. Details of the 12-month loan have already been negotiated, but nothing will be official until D.C. United is satisfied Charlie is physically capable of playing at the level required to be successful in MLS. United currently holds the top spot in the League’s allocation ranking and would therefore have first option to acquire Davies.”

Davies later reconfirmed that news with a message on Twitter with lots of exclamation points.

A fatal car accident in October, in which he was seriously injured, changed all of that. He suffered several broken bones and a lacerated bladder and needed months of rehabilitation before even returning the training. He has since made one gameday roster, but has mostly been playing with the Sochaux reserves. Sochaux has reportedly been looking to loan him out, but had said they were unlikely to send him to MLS.

MLS, as well as several Scandinavian leagues, are among those that still have open transfer windows. Although Ligue 1’s transfer window is closed that would not stop them from loaning or transferring a player out of the league.