The LA Galaxy have signed midfielder Perry Kitchen to a new contract, completing a free transfer from Danish side Randers after finalizing a trade with D.C. United for his MLS rights.
The Galaxy sent $100,000 of general allocation money and $200,000 of targeted allocation money to D.C. to acquire Kitchen's rights.
The Black-and-Red still held his MLS rights because it made a contract offer to Kitchen just prior to his contract expiring after the 2015 season. Kitchen moved to Scottish side Hearts on a free transfer shortly thereafter.
"Perry has proven himself to be a top midfielder in Major League Soccer during his time with D.C. United," Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. "He has continued to progress during his time in Europe and we are confident he can bolster our midfield.
"At only 25 years old, Perry is already an MLS veteran and will be a great addition to the LA Galaxy on and off the field."
👉@PerryKitchen23 is coming to Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/FqjHzC4n6j
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) January 9, 2018
Kitchen spent part of two seasons with the Edinburgh-based club, and was even made club captain before falling out with then-manager Ian Cathro. He was allowed to leave Hearts at the end of the 2016-17 campaign, at which point he joined Randers.
Kitchen has made 17 appearances with the club, but with Randers sitting last in the Danish SAS-Ligaen, he has opted to return to MLS, where he started his career. He scored 10 goals in 167 league appearances over five seasons with D.C. United, including the playoffs.
The acquisition of Kitchen set ups a potential central pairing with Jonathan dos Santos. If Sebastian Lletget can return from injury to play alongside Giovani dos Santos and Romain Alessandrini, the Galaxy midfield is looking formidable, despite the club coming off a season in which they finished bottom of the Western Conference.
Kitchen made his United States national team debut in February 2015 in a friendly against Panama, representing his country a further four times, the last of which came in another friendly against New Zealand in October 2016.