U.S. youth international Kristian Fletcher joins Nottingham Forest academy from DC United

Kristian Fletcher has joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan from MLS side DC United, the Premier League side announced Friday. The 19-year-old Homegrown and U.S. youth international is slated to join their U21 side.
"This is another important milestone in Kristian’s development and maturation as a Homegrown player," DC United general manager and chief soccer officer Ally Mackay said in a statement. "Going abroad and getting experience at a Premier League side is a testament to the work that Kristian has done to earn this opportunity.

"We are dedicated to bolstering and uplifting our Academy and curating pathways for players to ascend to the D.C. United first team in addition to exploring different avenues for player development like going abroad. We are excited for Kristian and wish him the best of luck in England."

Forest hold an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.

Fletcher, who signed a homegrown contract with DC in 2022, has made 13 MLS appearances this season, scoring one goal.

“I’m happy to be here and buzzing to get started," Fletcher said. "I knew Forest was a big Club, but being at the stadium and understanding more about the history, I now can’t wait to meet my teammates and get going.

"I want to keep learning and developing and I'm confident this is just the start of what will be an incredibly rewarding journey with Forest and our fans."

This will be his second stint in Europe after joining Swansea City's academy side on loan in 2023-24, where he scored eight goals.

Head of Academy Chris McGuane said: “I am delighted to welcome Kristian to Nottingham Forest and we are very happy to add the quality he has to our B Team squad. He brings experience of playing in the MLS and with the potential he has, we are looking forward to working with him and watching him progress further as a player.

"We are excited to see the impact and development that he will make ... Everyone at Nottingham Forest wishes Kristian all the very best as he starts what will be an exciting time for him at the club.”

The 19-year-old will look to break into the XI of the U21 squad and impress. Through three matches this season, Forest's U21 side are undefeated and atop the Football League Trophy table.