Instead of Son Heung-min, the EPL's original monster striker between Liverpool, MLS surprised him, but he decided to transfer to FA and prepare for a new career

Dec 02, 2025

Instead of Son Heung-min, the EPL's original monster striker between Liverpool, MLS surprised him, but he decided to transfer to FA and prepare for a new career
Photo=DC United



Christian Benteke has decided to leave DC United.

Benteke said on his personal SNS on the 2nd (Korea time) that he was grateful for the opportunity to grow and prove that DC United gave me in the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS). All the fans, colleagues, staff and support over the past three years in this city meant everything to me. Thank you for this trip, and prepare for a new career"He announced his separation from DC United.

It's a surprise decision. This is because DC United had no intention of letting Benteke go. It was Benteke who left Crystal Palace in the summer of 2022 to challenge MLS. MLS was not a difficult league for Benteke, who had also shown outstanding performances in the Premier League (EPL).




Instead of Son Heung-min, the EPL's original monster striker between Liverpool, MLS surprised him, but he decided to transfer to FA and prepare for a new career
사진=벤테케 SNS
Benteke became DC United's ace with 14 goals since his debut season. Last season, he scored 23 goals and won the MLS top scorer. It has been a bit sluggish this season with nine goals, but it's not just Benteke's fault. This is because DC United's performance was so bad that it never advanced to the playoffs even with Benteke.

DC United, who still trusted Benteke's skills, tried to hold on to the player. After Benteke's announcement of his separation, the British The Athletic said 'DC United did not execute Benteke's 2026 contract option, but were hoping to catch it again with a new contract. However, Benteke, the 2024 MLS top scorer, said on social media that he would leave'

A source familiar with the situation said that despite Benteke's announcement of separation, DC United still hopes to persuade Benteke to return. Benteke added that his contract will end this winter, allowing him to freely sign anywhere in and out of MLS and also qualifies as MLS FA. The decision is even more surprising because Benteke was DC United's captain.
Instead of Son Heung-min, the EPL's original monster striker between Liverpool, MLS surprised him, but he decided to transfer to FA and prepare for a new career
게티이미지
If Benteke-class strikers continue to play in the United States, all teams with ambiguous strikers are likely to recruit. Benteke has the 11th highest annual salary in MLS, but it is still a sale where you can expect more than 10 goals in the league. If Benteke heads to a team with power that can seek to win the league, the MLS championship may be reorganized.

Benteke, meanwhile, is famous for moving to Liverpool instead of Son Heung-min. Ian Graham, who worked as Liverpool director in the past, said in September "In the other world, Son Heung-min and Roberto Firmino would have been at the forefront of Liverpool. Firmino and Son Heung-min were the top targets we wanted. In the end, however, Son Heung-min transferred to Tottenham, and Benteke was recruited instead."

Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool head coach at the time, wanted to bring Benteke, who could fight with power from the front, instead of Son Heung-min. At that time, Benteke was a rising star as he scored 10 league goals in three consecutive seasons at Aston Villa. As a result, however, Rodgers's choice became the worst, and Benteke moved to Palace after failing at Liverpool in a season.






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.