Taxiarchis Fountas was not scheduled to join D.C. United — and become its highest-paid player — until July, halfway through the MLS season. He was, after all, still under contract with Rapid Vienna through the end of the Austrian campaign.
But United wanted the Greek forward in uniform as soon as possible, and late Wednesday night the club reached a deal with his current employer that frees him right away.
United will pay a transfer fee of about $400,000 to release him from his Rapid Vienna contract, a person close to the talks said.