D.C. United's teen sensation, Andy Najar, sold to Belgian club

Najar becomes MLS’ first homegrown player to permanently move to a European side

Andy Najar photo by Bo McMillan

Washington D.C. (January 30, 2013) – D.C. United today announced that defender/midfielder Andy Najar has been transferred to R.S.C. Anderlecht. Per team and League policy, the details of the deal were not disclosed. Najar became Major League Soccer’s first homegrown player to permanently move to a European side. Najar initially went on a training stint through the month of December before being loaned to the Belgian side for the month of January. The 19-year-old played 90 minutes in a January 11 friendly in a 4-2 victory against Dutch club SC Heracles Almelo and scored in a reserve match last week.

“It has been very rewarding to watch Andy grow and develop into becoming the special player that he is,” said D.C. United General Manager Dave Kasper. “This transfer is a testament to the hard work of our Academy staff, to Ben and his staff for their patience and vision, and to the MLS Homegrown Player initiative. We wish Andy all of the success in the world and we look forward to watching his career blossom. Looking ahead, we plan to focus on utilizing our resources and flexibility to continue to build our team.”