TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
- DC receive: Hosei Kijima
- SD receive: $400k GAM
D.C. United have acquired midfielder Hosei Kijima from newcomers San Diego FC in exchange for $400,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM), the clubs announced Wednesday.
Kijima was briefly on San Diego's roster after they picked him in Wednesday's Expansion Draft. The 22-year-old Japan native wasn't on St. Louis CITY SC's protected list, making him eligible for selection.
St. Louis picked Kijima No. 17 overall (first round) in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft after an accolade-filled collegiate career at Wake Forest University. During his rookie season, he tallied 2g/2a in 21 appearances across all competitions.
"We are excited to welcome Hosei to D.C. United," said Ally Mackay, D.C.'s general manager and chief of soccer operations.
"He is a young and talented midfielder who played a considerable number of minutes for St. Louis CITY SC last year. He has a high ceiling for growth and we’re looking forward to integrating him with the squad ahead of the 2025 season."
As Kijima joins D.C. United, they're chasing the club's first Audi MLS Cup Playoffs trip since 2019.
Last season, they finished 10th in the Eastern Conference (40 points) and missed out on qualification via tiebreakers.
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
