Official: DC United sign Griffin Yow as Homegrown Player

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

D.C. United have just launched their USL Championship team, and now a player with a claim to history for Loudoun United is the MLS team's next signing.

Forward Griffin Yow officially signed a Homegrown Player deal for D.C. on Tuesday, a day after the move was first reported by Steven Goff in The Washington Post. Yow scored the first-ever goal for Loudoun United over the weekend.

The 16-year-old is a member of D.C.'s academy who has been playing for the USL Championship club on an academy contract so far, as well as a US U-17 international and a part of D.C. United's squad throughout preseason.

He notched the opening goal in Loudoun United's 1-1 draw against fellow USL Championship expansion team Memphis 901 FC on Saturday.

The short-term plan is to keep Yow at Loudon for now, though he could see duty for the MLS squad should they encounter an injury bug. The Black-and-Red currently have only two out-and-out forwards currently on the roster aside from Yow, Wayne Rooney and Quincy Amarikwa.

"Griffin is a promising young prospect who has grown tremendously in the past 18 months in our Academy,” D.C. GM Dave Kasper said in a release. “He has been a top performer for our U-17 Academy team, and has represented the U.S. Youth National Teams at various levels, and we're looking forward to utilizing our new USL Championship club, Loudoun United FC, to begin his development as a professional soccer player."