Football
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent 5y

Sources: Kamara returning to MLS with D.C. United

D.C. United is in the final stages of bringing Norway international forward Ola Kamara back to MLS, according to multiple ESPN FC sources.

News of the deal was first reported by The Washington Post.

Kamara, 29, will join D.C. United from Chinese Super League side Shenzhen FC, which he signed with last February. Kamara was unable to make his mark with Shenzhen, failing to score in six league and cup appearances.

The Black-and-Red still have to swing a deal with Colorado Rapids for the top spot in the allocation order to obtain his rights. One source said D.C. United will send an undisclosed amount of allocation money in the other direction.

While the Oslo-born striker struggled in China, he is a known quantity in MLS, scoring 35 goals in 64 league and playoff appearances with the Columbus Crew during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Kamara was then traded to the LA Galaxy prior to the start of the 2018 season in exchange for Gyasi Zardes and $500,000 in allocation money. He scored 14 goals in 31 league appearances for LA, but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic also on the Galaxy's books, he opted to head to China.

There is a question of where Kamara will fit into D.C. United's lineup given the presence of international star Wayne Rooney, but one source speculated that Rooney would drop into midfield to accommodate the arrival of Kamara. Manager Ben Olsen could also opt to play with two forwards.

At international level, Kamara has scored seven goals in 17 appearances for Norway.

^ Back to Top ^