WASHINGTON (Dec. 11, 2024) - D.C. United acquires midfielder Hosei Kijima from San Diego FC in exchange for $400,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money. Kijima was selected by San Diego FC from St. Louis CITY SC in the 2025 MLS Expansion Draft tonight.
“We are excited to welcome Hosei [Kijima] to D.C. United,” Ally Mackay, D.C. United General Manager and Chief of Soccer Operations, said. “He is a young and talented midfielder who played a considerable number of minutes for St. Louis CITY SC last year. He has a high ceiling for growth and we’re looking forward to integrating him with the squad ahead of the 2025 season.”
The 22-year-old started his professional career when he was drafted 17th overall by St. Louis CITY SC in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft and signed his first professional contract on Feb. 20, 2024. Kijima made his professional debut for St. Louis later that day as an 86th-minute substitute against the Houston Dynamo in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The midfielder scored the game-winning goal in his debut to give St. Louis a 2-1 win. In 2024, Kijima played a total of 21 matches (9 starts) for St. Louis CITY SC, scoring two goals and recording one assist across 870 minutes played. The Japanese midfielder also featured for St. Louis CITY SC 2 in 2024, appearing in 16 matches, scoring one goal and recording five assists, helping them reach the Semi-Finals of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
Kijima played four years of collegiate soccer for Wake Forest University in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) from 2020-2023. He captained the team his senior year and appeared in a total of 65 matches (54 starts) scoring nine goals and totaling 10 assists.
Hosei Kijima
Position: Midfielder
Birthplace: Yokohama, Japan
Country: Japan
Birthday: July 1, 2002
Age: 22
Height: 5’10
Weight: 165 lbs
Status: Domestic
Transaction: D.C. United acquires midfielder Hosei Kijima from San Diego FC in exchange for $400,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money.
