D.C. United defender Aaron Herrera has indicated his desire to leave the MLS club, head coach René Weiler said Wednesday night.
When asked about starting rookie defender Nikola Markovic at right outside back in United’s 3-1 loss over the Chicago Fire, Weiler said Herrera “wants to leave.”
“That is a fact, and he told us that,” Weiler said during the postgame press conference. “I gave the chance to Markovic, because he has the future.”
Weiler did not elaborate further if the club is seeking a trade. Herrera did not play Wednesday’s match and was not available to speak with the media.
Herrera missed the start of the season for the birth of his child and to recover from a lower leg injury. He’s played seven matches during the MLS regular season, seven of which were starts in more offensive roles.
Herrera is in the final year of a contract option United exercised before the 2025 season. According to the 2026 MLS Players Association player salaries guide, Herrera’s base salary is $850,000 and he is set to make over $950,000.
Herrera quickly became a fan favorite after being traded to D.C. from Montreal before the 2024 season for defender Ruan Gregório Teixeira and $500,000 in general allocation money. In his two seasons with United, he’s played 26 regular season games, scored once, provided 12 assists and was named to the 2024 MLS All-Star team. His play earned him call-ups to the Guatemalan men’s national team.
Herrera becomes the second player Weiler has publicly called out.
During a pregame press conference on May 3, he said Gabriel Pirani was not listed in United’s roster against NYCFC because he was “playing for himself instead of the team.” Pirani has not played for D.C. since April 15.
“(This,) I dislike,” Weiler said about Pirani. “I cannot see the joy in his face and the identification of our club, so he will not be with the team.”
Weiler was hired midway through the 2025 season, becoming United’s fourth head coach in five years. Under the Swiss manager, D.C. (4-5-4, 16 points) sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and was on a five-match unbeaten streak before Wednesday night.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
