Big Ben touches down! Newest MLS star Christian Benteke ‘arrives in Washington D.C. to meet his new teammates’ as Wayne Rooney adds ANOTHER marquee man to his squad
- The 31-year-old is ready to go at DC United after signing for two-and-a-half years
- Benteke must return to Europe in order to fulfil visa processing requirements
- In the meantime, he will undertake orientation, meetings and light work in D.C.
- It is hoped that the striker can make his debut for the club vs. Philadelphia
Marquee MLS signing Christian Benteke has touched down in the nation’s capital as he readies to start life under Wayne Rooney at DC United, according to reports.
The Belgian international will likely debut against Philadelphia on August 20, according to one report.
Per Steven Goff of the Washington Post, Benteke will undertake an ‘orientation’ with the club involving meetings and light workouts before briefly returning to his home continent.
Due to constraints with his P-1 A visa — reserved for athletes at ‘an internationally recognized level of performance’ — Benteke must return to Europe for everything to be finalized.
Christian Benteke has reportedly touched down in Washington after signing for DC United
Benteke (above) will spearhead DC’s attack & look to feast on the creativity of Ravel Morrison
Big Ben, as he is affectionately known in the country where he made his name, made the surprise switch to DC from Crystal Palace on August 5. Benteke signed a two-and-a-half year contract with United.
The 31-year-old leaves behind the Premier League after a decade. He initially plied his trade for Aston Villa in 2012 following an $8.5million transfer from Belgium club, Genk.
Benteke scored 42 in 89 for the Villans, earning him a move to European giants, Liverpool.
Benteke enjoyed six seasons in south London with Palace, producing some huge moments
While his time on Merseyside did not transpire as he may have hoped, Benteke did leave a lasting impression with a quite incredible bicycle kick against Manchester United.
As his time at Anfield ended, Crystal Palace swooped. The Eagles forked out $32.5m and handed the Belgian a four-year deal.
Benteke had a mixed six seasons at Selhurst Park, scoring 35 goals in 132 appearances for the South London.
Benteke produced in spurts at Liverpool but found himself out of favor under Jurgen Klopp
