Houston Dynamo new owner Ted Segal has confirmed that the Major League Soccer (MLS) side will sign Zimbabwe international Teenage Hadebe as a Designated Player, this week.

Hadebe (25) spent two seasons at Turkish Super Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor after moving from Kaizer Chiefs in 2019.

Reports linking the gangly Warriors defender to the American top-flight side have been awash for weeks though no confirmation had been made by either Malatyaspor or Houston Dynamo.

But speaking at the official ceremony to announce him as the club’s majority share holder today, Segal said Hadebe will be the club’s latest signing as a Designated Player.

“Yes, he is coming,” said Segal when journalists asked about Hadebe.

“He has not yet arrived in the US but he will in 5-7 days time due to visa processing,” he added.

On why the club chose to have Hadebe as a designated player, Segal side: “He was not originally going to be a DP but his strong finish to the season (in Turkey) brought other teams into the fold so we had to pay more.”

But what really is a Designated Player?

The Designated Player Rule, also known as the Beckham Rule, allows teams in the Major League Soccer to sign up to three players who are outside the team’s salary cap ($4.9 million in 2021). In essence, this allows teams to compete for star players in the international market (like how the LA Galaxy started this whole rigamarole by signing David Beckham to a five-year contract worth $6.5M annually back in 2007).