Charlie Davies is sticking with the Union.
The club announced Thursday the veteran forward has been re-signed to a one-year deal, keeping him in Union blue for the 2017 season.
“We are thrilled to have Charlie back for the 2017 season,” Union sporting director Earnie Stewart said. “It will be great to have Charlie from the start with a full preseason around our club and we’re looking forward to what he can bring to our team for an entire season.”
Davies, 30, was a late-season acquisition for the Union in 2016 but played less than 90 minutes in total over eight games. After recovering from liposarcoma, a form of cancer, his return to full-time action was slow, and he was often the odd-man out in the Union’s gameday lineup.
Close friends with Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya and attacker Chris Pontius, Davies was left unprotected in the MLS expansion draft on Dec. 12, putting a cloud around his future with the Union. However, he went unselected by Atlanta United and Minnesota United.
The move to retain Davies, who scored 10 goals in 2015 with the New England Revolution, also helps the Union recoup value from the player. To acquire him, the club spent General Allocation Money, Targeted Allocation Money and their 2018 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick.
Although the Union are rumored to be seeking a high-priced forward on the market, Davies, who is currently behind C.J. Sapong on the depth chart, provides the club a strong, veteran locker room presence that can chip in offensively when needed.