D.C. United have acquired midfielder Lucas Rodríguez on a year-long loan with an option for a permanent transfer from Club Estudiantes de La Plata of the Argentine Primera División pending receipt of his P1 visa and ITC. D.C. United will send $50,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for the player’s discovery rights.

“We are excited to add a player of Lucas’ pedigree and experience to our roster ahead of the 2019 season,” Dave Kasper, United General Manager and VP of Soccer Operations, said. “At 21, he has been a consistent starter at the top level of Argentine soccer over the last three seasons and has both Copa Liberatadores and U-20 World Cup experience with Argentina. Lucas can play any of the attacking positions centrally and in wide areas, and has all the qualities to succeed in Major League Soccer. We are looking forward to welcoming Lucas to the team and having him represent the Black-and-Red."

Rodríguez, a product of the Estudiantes youth academy, made his breakthrough into the first team in the 2014/15 season, making his league debut on July 11, 2015 at the age of 18. In his first professional season, Rodríguez scored three goals and recorded one assist in 11 league appearances.

In five seasons with the Estudiantes First Team, Rodríguez scored eight goals and recorded five assists in 90 total appearances, including 12 games played in the Copa Libertadores and three in the Copa Sudamericana. Rodríguez has started 14 of the team’s 15 Primera División matches this season.

Rodríguez featured for the U-20 Argentina National Team at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea, starting two of Argentina’s three group stage matches against tournament champions England and South Korea. Rodríguez was also a member of the U-20 Argentina National Team at the 2017 South American Championship in Ecuador. The attacker started four of the team’s seven matches and scored one goal on the way to a fourth place finish in the tournament. Rodríguez’s goal came in the 5-1 win against Bolivia on January 24, 2017.

Player: Lucas Rodríguez

Position: Midfield

Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Country: Argentina

Birthdate: 4/27/1997

Age: 21

Height: 5’7"

Weight: 141

Previous Club: Club Estudiantes de La Plata

Status: International

Transaction: United acquire Lucas Rodríguez on a year-long loan with an option for a permanent transfer from Club Estudiantes de La Plata pending receipt of his P1 visa and ITC. The Black-and-Red will send $50,000 of GAM to Atlanta United in exchange for the player’s discovery rights