The Colorado Rapids are finalizing their first transaction with the new “cash for player” trade function to acquire midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro from D.C. United, a club source confirmed to The Denver Post on Tuesday.
The transfer fee is set to be $1.25 million with performance-based add-ons up to $275,000, the source added. A sell-on clause of 15% is likely to be applied to the deal as well, meaning D.C. will retain 15% of any future transfer of Ku-DiPietro.
The mechanism, announced by MLS last month, allows for unlimited out-of-pocket funds, or cash, to acquire players within the league. Previously, the only tool to acquire intra-league players with money was to use either general allocation money (GAM) or targeted allocation money (TAM). The only catch is that teams are allotted only two incoming and two outgoing cash-for-player trades.
A Homegrown midfielder from D.C., Ku-DiPietro is entering his fourth season in the league. He broke through as a regular contributor in 2023 before becoming a starter for nearly every game he played in the 2024 season. In three seasons, he has amassed seven goals and seven assists.
His best season was in 2023 under former head coach Wayne Rooney, when he scored five goals and provided two assists in 26 appearances (12 starts). His usage ticked way up and his production dipped slightly under first-year head coach Troy Lesesne in 2024.
Ku-DiPietro, who turned 23 last week, signed a contract extension to fill a U-22 roster slot through the 2027 season. He’ll occupy the Rapids’ only remaining U-22 Initiative slot for the remainder of his contract, according to cash-for-player rules.
In 2024, according to FBRef, Ku-DiPietro ranked in the top 30% of MLS wingers in non-penalty expected goals (xG) at 0.28 per 90 minutes, successful take-ons, interceptions and touches in the attacking penalty box.
Also according to FBRef, of the 10 most statistically similar players to Ku-DiPietro in MLS, two of them (Omir Fernández and Kévin Cabral) are current Rapids wingers.
The stats don’t pop out as the Rapids’ answer at the winger position — one of the club’s major needs this winter — but his work rate off the ball is immediately evident on tape both offensively and defensively.
“We know he’s another young guy who can play and fit the way we want to do things,” Rapids coach Chris Armas told The Denver Post after training on Tuesday. “He’s a very competitive kid. He can run, he’s very powerful. … I like that he knows who he is, he’s coming at you and I think he’s going to bring a nice element in that final third that fits to who we are.”
Ku-DiPietro is currently in Florida with D.C. United for the team’s preseason camp. The Rapids, set to play against D.C. in a preseason friendly on Friday, travel to Florida on Wednesday, which is when Ku-DiPietro will join the team, assuming the deal is finalized.
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