D.C. United on Wednesday began a long-shot pursuit of acquiring Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil as a high-profile replacement for Wayne Rooney, hosting the German star’s agent in Washington, people close to the situation said.
Erkut Sögüt met with club executives Jason Levien and Sam Porter to discuss the possibility of Özil jumping to MLS from the Premier League as early as next year, according to those familiar with the talks, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly speak on the matter.
The group lunched in the Navy Yard, toured Audi Field and was scheduled to visit the future site of United’s training center in Leesburg, Va.