DC United sign Louis Munteanu to Designated Player contract in club record transfer
DC United has broke the bank. Today, the club announced they have signed 23-year-old Romanian forward Louis Munteanu to a Designated Player deal for 3.5 seasons through the 2028-29 season with a club option for 2029-30. The $7 million transfer fee that DC United will pay his former club, CFR Cluj, is the largest in club history.
“Louis is a dynamic young forward whose finishing ability and versatility make him an excellent compliment to our current attacking group,” DC United director of soccer operations Dr. Erkut Sogut said in a press release. “His movement off the ball, tireless work rate, ability to create space, and instinctive finishing in the final third add another dimension to our attack. Winning the Golden Boot in the SuperLiga in his first season with CFR Cluj is a testament to Louis’ work ethic and natural goal-scoring ability. This coupled with his European experience at such a young age, set him apart from other players, which is why we were determined to bring him to the club. We are excited to welcome him to the District.”
Munteanu has spent the past two seasons with CFR Cluj, arriving there from Fiorentina in July 2024. In his first season with the club, he won the league’s Golden Boot with 23 goals as the team won the Romanian Cup. In his time with CFR Cluj, Munteanu logged 28 goals and 9 assists in 63 appearances across all competitions, including UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League qualifiers.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining D.C. United. Washington is an amazing city, and this move means a lot to me. MLS is a new and ambitious challenge, and I am fully committed to giving everything I have to help this club succeed next season,” Louis Munteanu said in a statement. “With the World Cup coming to North America, there will be even greater attention on American soccer, and I want to be part of that moment. The talks with [DC United head coach] René Weiler and Dr. Erkut Sogut made it clear to me that something special is being built here. I am proud to be part of this project.”
Munteanu also has international experience with the Romanian youth and senior national teams. The 6’1″ forward has featured for the U-16, U-17, U-18, U-20, and U-21 teams, and made his senior national team debut in October 2023. He has two goals in four caps with Romania and could factor into Romania’s squad in March as they seek to qualify for the 2026 World Cup via the UEFA Playoffs.
In Munteanu, DC United has signed their second Designated Player of the offseason, joining Tai Baribo on the front line. It continues the torrid pace of signings and deals DC United has made this offseason in an effort to boost the roster ahead of the 2026 season. The $7 million transfer fee paid to CFR Cluj is the largest the club has ever made, surpassing the $6 million fee paid to Crystal Palace to acquire Christian Benteke in August 2022. DC United ownership has pledged to use each of their Designated Player slots this coming season, which signals that the club is not yet done with the acquisitions. For now, Munteanu is expected to be one of the linchpins of the team as they seek to climb out of the cellar and return to prominence as a team that competes for trophies.
Well, let’s hope that Munteanu can surpass Benteke’s goal total, too. Bonus if Tai Baribo also does that.
Well, I do applaud the ambition being shown by the club. I hope it pans out.
I do applaud the actions. I’m not sure I’d call it “ambition” though. My take is that when discontent gets loud enough and season ticket renewals get low enough, they take action (sigh a Rooney for instance, or bring Rooney back as a coach) to say “see–we’re serious!” and then don’t follow through.
What does imply “ambition” a little to me is thatbn Munteanu is young. We didn’t just go for an aging star who we got at a bargain because he was aging and his former club figured it was time to move on.
Well, I have to agree on the season ticket aspect. Certainly, I took a pass on them for the reasons that I (and many loyal fans) did. I still support the club, but the investment time and money was just not justifiable to me anymore. I glad that there is some “ambition” be it reactionary or not.
Fingers crossed for success, but not holding my breath…..
I was surprised to see this pop up on the main page of r/soccer. There was some limited but interesting insights into his recent history. He *is* very highly regarded in Romania and did have some suitors after his breakout season. Then the move didn’t come, and there’s been quite a bit of tension between him and the club ever since. So, talented but emotional player. Good thing we’ve handled that well in the past (/s but hopefully this coaching staff gets him comfortable and happy).
Didn’t you mean /PSG?
If only we’d taken the lunch money they apparently offered lol
This is encouraging whether or not this works out. The cost cutting mentality has proven to be dysfunctional and the owners of the team can now see that clearly. My hope is that this is not a one-off year, but a long-term commitment to improve the team and bring it up to the levels of those at the top of the league.
I am starting to trust the judgements of the coach and general manager because they are doing a systematic job in rebuilding a lower-than-MLS quality team. This rebuild has not been about getting the best available players but rather seems to be getting the best players for the needs of the team. Also, trading Enow (if true) was necessary because he was he did not fit well with the team.
I have said this before, but most years DCU waited until the last minute to make decisions and then made one mistake after another. The new management team seems to be going about their jobs in a very systematic way (even including the college draft!). Hopefully, there are more additions to come.