August 5, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – D.C. United News Release
WASHINGTON, DC – D.C. United have signed Belgian International forward Christian Benteke from Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on a permanent transfer. Benteke will join the club as a Designated Player pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). The Black-and-Red have signed Benteke on a two-and-a-half-year deal through 2024 with a club option in 2025.
“Christian is a top player who has played at the highest level for a long time,” Wayne Rooney, D.C. United Head Coach, said. “His experience and ability to score goals and help the team will be invaluable. It’s exciting for the team and myself to get him in and playing. He will make a huge difference.”
Benteke joins D.C. United after spending the last 10 seasons in the English Premier League with Aston Villa, Liverpool, and most recently, Crystal Palace. The 31-year-old has scored 86 goals and recorded 23 assists in 280 Premier League Appearances.
Benteke has been with Crystal Palace for the last six seasons since signing on Aug. 20, 2016, from Liverpool FC in a $34 million deal. The forward made his debut for the London club on Aug. 27, 2016 against Bournemouth in the Premier League. Benteke scored his first goal for Crystal Palace the following game on Sep. 10, 2016 in a 2-1 win against Middlesbrough. During his time with Crystal Palace, the Belgian scored 37 goals and recorded 12 assists in 177 appearances across all competitions.
“We’ve been working hard over the last few weeks to bring in talent to bolster our squad,” Dave Kasper, D.C. United President of Soccer Operations, said. “Being able to bring in a world class player of Christian’s [Benteke] caliber is a huge testament to what’s going on behind the scenes at the club and our ability to draw top talent globally. We have been extremely active in the transfer window bringing in six players and since Wayne Rooney’s appointment as our Head Coach we believe we have made major steps in putting together a roster that can both make a push to finish this season strong and build a foundation for us moving forward.”
Prior to joining Crystal Palace, Benteke spent the 2015-16 season with English powerhouse Liverpool FC after signing the forward for $51 million from Aston Villa on July 22, 2015. In one season with the Reds, Benteke scored 10 goals and recorded six assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. He scored his first goal for…
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