D.C. United have signed Chilean winger Martín Rodríguez on a permanent transfer using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) from Altay SK in the Super Lig, the first division of Turkish soccer, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Upon the official opening of the Major League Soccer secondary transfer window on July 7, Rodríguez will be added to the Black-and-Red roster.
“Martín is a dynamic attacking player in the prime of his career who we are excited to add to our roster to bolster our offense,” Dave Kasper, D.C. United President of Soccer Operations, said. “We’ve been monitoring Martín for some time, and he has performed at the highest level for both club and country. We are getting a proven attacker who has earned multiple caps with the Chilean National Team, and experience at top Liga MX clubs. We’re excited to add someone with his level of experience and ability, and we believe he will be an impact player for us from the start.”
The Chilean joins the Black-and-Red after spending the past season with Altay SK in Turkey. Rodríguez was signed by Altay SK from Colo Colo, of the Chilean first division, on July 30, 2021. He made his debut for the side against Kayserispor in the Super Lig on Aug. 14, 2021 in a 3-0 victory. Rodríguez scored his first goal the following match in a 4-1 win against Alanyaspor on Aug. 21, 2021. During his time with the club, Rodríguez scored three goals and recorded two assists in 31 appearances across all competitions.
Prior to joining Altay SK, the winger played in the Liga MX, the first division of Mexican soccer, with four different clubs. In 2017, Rodríguez was sold to CD Cruz Azul in the Liga MX from Colo Colo where he scored six goals and recorded four assists in 50 total appearances. During his time with CD Cruz Azul, Rodríguez was loaned to UNAM Pumas of Liga MX on July 1, 2018, and was signed to a permanent transfer by them a year later on July 1, 2019.
During the winger’s time with UNAM Pumas, he went on two loan spells with Monarcas Morelia on Jan. 4, 2020 and with Mazatlan FC on July 1, 2020, with both teams competing in the Liga MX. Rodríguez managed four goals and one assist in 13 total appearances for Monarcas Morelia and six assists in 17 appearances with Mazatlan FC. He returned to UNAM Pumas on Dec. 31, 2020 before being sold to Colo Colo again on July 30, 2021. During his time with UNAM Pumas, Rodríguez netted five goals and six assists in 51 appearances.
The 27-year-old started his career with the Huachipato’s youth academy before being promoted to the first team in Chile’s first division on Jan. 1, 2011. In 42 games, he scored two goals and recorded seven assists for the club before being signed by Colo Colo in 2015. The Chilean scored two goals in his Colo Colo debut on July 25, 2015, in a 2-1 win over Union Española and managed to score eight goals and five assists in all competitions during his time there.
Rodríguez has represented Chile where he made his national team debut on September 10, 2014, at just 20 years old. He scored his first international goal on June 25, 2017, against Australia in a 1-1 draw in the 2017 Confederations Cup. The winger helped Chile come in second place in the tournament after losing to Germany 1-0 in the final. In total, Rodríguez has scored one goal and recorded two assists in 12 caps for Chile.
Player: Martín Rodríguez
Birthplace: Diego de Almagro, Chile
Transaction: D.C. United signed Chilean winger Martín Rodríguez on a permanent transfer using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) from Altay SK pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and ITC.
Read More: D.C. United Acquire Chilean Winger Martín Rodríguez using Targeted Allocation
