TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
UPDATE (March 21) – D.C. United have agreed to new terms with Austria's Rapid Vienna for Taxiarchis "Taxi" Fountas, resulting in the Greek national team forward arriving at the MLS side sooner than expected.
Fountas will now join the Black-and-Red upon receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Trade Certificate (ITC). He originally signed a pre-contract and was slated to arrive in July.
The 26-year-old will remain a Designated Player and has signed a contract through 2024 with a club option to extend through 2025.
"We are extremely excited to accelerate the acquisition of Taxi and get him integrated with the first team ahead of the initial pre-contract timeline we announced in January of a July arrival,” Dave Kasper, D.C's president of soccer operations, said in a release. “We feel as though he is a player who is capable of making an immediate impact on the team and it was important for us to get him here as soon as possible.”
Fountas has made eight appearances for Greece's national team and has scored 64 goals and recorded 37 assists across 255 professional appearances. His club career began at Greece's AEK Athens before a move to Austria's Red Bull Salzburg, building toward his starring role at Rapid Vienna.
“This is a massive step by the club to ensure that Taxi is able to make an immediate impact on team results early in the 2022 season,” Lucy Rushton, D.C.'s general manager, said in a release. “We have started the season positively and the addition of Taxi in Hernán [Losada]’s system will add a crucial spark for us on the offensive side of the ball. Taxi joining the squad sooner than planned will better equip us to make a push for the playoffs this season.”
UPDATE (Jan. 27) – D.C. United have signed Greek national team and Rapid Vienna forward Taxiarchis "Taxi" Fountas to a pre-contract, the club announced Thursday.
The 26-year-old will join D.C. United as a Designated Player in July on a deal that runs through June 30, 2025, with a club option to extend through the end of 2025.
“Taxi is a player we’re really excited about as we feel he is someone who has the quality to consistently influence matches for us in the attacking third,” president of soccer operations Dave Kasper said in a release. “We are excited to welcome him to the club and feel that his experience across many of Europe’s top leagues along with the Greek national team will help to make an immediate impact for us going forward.”
Fountas has scored 45 goals and recorded 21 assists in 90 appearances across all competitions for Rapid Vienna since signing in 2019. Fountas also has eight appearances for Greece, last featuring in a September 2021 qualifier vs. Kosovo.
“Taxi excels with the ball at his feet and has the ability to both create and finish chances. He has the experience to play anywhere across the front line or just underneath a center forward in an attacking central midfield role in head coach Hernán Losada’s system,” general manager Lucy Rushton said in a release. “We believe his ability and personality are a perfect fit for our system and we’re eager to introduce him to the Black-and-Red.”
He's the second Rapid Vienna forward to join MLS on Thursday, following Orlando City SC signing DP forward Ercan Kara. And Fountas joins soon-to-be Toronto FC forward Lorenzo Insigne as a DP who arrives in July.
ORIGINAL (Jan. 24) – D.C. United are signing Greek international forward Taxiarchis Fountas, according to a report from Steven Goff of The Washington Post.
Fountas currently plays for Austrian Bundesliga side Rapid Wien, where he's been since 2019.
Per Goff, the 26-year-old would join D.C. United as a Designated Player and arrive in the summer on a three-year deal.
Fountas has a track record as a leading goalscorer in Austria's top flight, netting 35 times in 68 league appearances. He broke onto the professional ranks in Greece with AEK Athens from 2011-13 before heading to Red Bull Salzburg.
D.C. United could be in the market for another DP attacker, with MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert reporting that they've agreed in principle to trade US men's national team winger Paul Arriola to FC Dallas. Although the would-be $2 million GAM deal has yet to be formally announced. Peruvian international Edison Flores is also a DP for the Black-and-Red.
The club's forward group is currently headlined by Ola Kamara, who finished second in the Golden Boot presented by Audi race last season with 19 goals in 28 games, ceding the top honors to NYCFC's Valentin Castellanos via the assists tiebreaker.
D.C., heading into their second year under head coach Hernan Losada, missed an Eastern Conference spot in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs by one point.
