Washington, DC – D.C. United homegrown defender/midfielder Andy Najar has completed a move to Belgian side R.S.C. Anderlecht, the club announced on Wednesday.
Najar initially went over to Belgium to train with the club for the month of December before being loaned for the month of January.
While in Belgium, the 19-year-old played all 90 minutes in a 4-2 victory against Dutch side SC Heracles Almelo and scored in a reserve match a week later.
Najar becomes Major League Soccer's first homegrown player to complete a permanent transfer to a European club.
"It has been very rewarding to watch Andy grow and develop into becoming the special player that he is," said D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper. "This transfer is a testament to the hard work of our Academy staff, to (manager) Ben (Olsen) and his staff for their patience and vision, and to the MLS Homegrown Player initiative. We wish Andy all of the success in the world and we look forward to watching his career blossom. Looking ahead, we plan to focus on utilizing our resources and flexibility to continue to build our team."
Last season with D.C. United, Najar played in 25 regular-season matches, including 22 starts, while notching four assists. Over three seasons with United, Najar has tallied 10 goals and 11 assists in 82 appearances.
Najar has also made three appearances with the senior Honduras National Team.
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