Real Salt Lake traded defender Aaron Maund to the Vancouver Whitecaps for Vancouver’s third-round 2018 SuperDraft pick, the club announced Wednesday.
In addition to gaining a pick, RSL frees up salary cap space to sign a free agent or use in primary transfer window acquisitions.
“Aaron has been a warrior for Real Salt Lake for the last five seasons,” RSL general manager Craig Waibel said in a team release, “and we thank him for his service to the club. We are proud of him for the work he put in to develop with RSL, and we wish him the best of luck in his future.”
RSL first acquired Maund in a trade with Toronto FC ahead of the 2013 season, and he was named the 2015 RSL Defensive Player of the Year.
Maund started 20 league matches for RSL last year despite a season-ending broken toe sustained in August. The team re-signed him in December after his contract expired.
Maund claimed a regular starting role by the beginning of May, his fifth season with RSL. But Maund only has seen seven minutes on the field since RSL added center back Marcelo Silva to its roster last month.
Maund will be added to the Whitecaps’ roster upon the transfer of his International Transfer Certificate and the receipt of his Canadian work permit.
Monarchs sign two forwards
The already shining Real Monarchs have beefed up their lineup with two new attackers.
RSL’s USL affiliate announced it has signed Costa Rica National Team forward Diego Calvo and Argentine forward Juan Ignacio Mare. Their ITCs and visas just have to go through.
Calvo has earned 10 caps and scored one goal with Costa Rica. The 26-year-old winger’s professional career includes stints in Costa Rica, Norway and Sweden.
Mare has spent much of his career in Mexico, playing on several clubs’ second teams.
The Monarchs (15-3-3, 48 points) sit atop the USL standings and set a league record with a nine-game winning streak midseason.
