Real Salt Lake is searching for a goal scorer.
With just under two weeks until the year’s first transfer window closes, RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni says the club hopes to add “one or two” attacking players but is still working to finalize those deals.
“Especially when you’re looking internationally, there are a lot of things that have to align themselves, right?” Mastroeni said. “There’s got to be a willing player. There’s got to be a club willing to part with the player. And then, obviously, the personal terms on the player.
“... This is why it’s taken a bit of time. It’s not from a lack of trying.”
RSL has been in “advanced talks” with Slovakian forward Róbert Boženík, according to Tom Bogert of givemesport.com.
“We’ve identified that we need one or two more attacking players to really make this thing whole and create a real competition up front to drive the group forward,” Mastroeni said.
The transfer window closes on April 23.
On the road
RSL begins a road-heavy stretch this weekend in Nashville.
Salt Lake takes on Nashville SC on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. MT (AppleTV+). RSL plays four of its next five games away from America First Field.
Youngster impresses
Jesus Barea is still searching for his first Major League Soccer goal.
But the 22-year-old rookie out of Missouri State has caught Mastroeni’s attention early this season.
“This young man continues to impress,” the RSL coach said. “He’s very calm on the ball. He makes good soccer decisions. His technique is tidy. He’s got an eye for goal, and he just needs opportunities. There was a moment where we thought, maybe, do we start him [last week against the Galaxy]? And the truth is, he’s going to be a very good player. There’s no two ways about it.”
Mastroeni said Barea could have started up top with attackers Diogo Goncalves and Diego Luna underneath him.
“You’ll be seeing a lot more Jesus, and he continues to impress with every training session and with every minute he gets on the field on game day,” Mastroeni said.
Eyes on Luna
Luna’s two-goal performance in last weekend’s win over the L.A. Galaxy came at an opportune time.
And not just because RSL was in desperate need of a win.
U.S. Men’s National Team assistant coach Miguel “Miki” D’Agostino was in Salt Lake to spend some time with Luna, who has looked like a rising star for his country in recent weeks.
“It’s awesome to have him come out here and explore the city, explore the club that I’m at, and talk to people that I’m with daily, so he gets an idea of what my daily and my weekly looks like. So that was cool,” Luna said. “I talked to him, and it was just good to catch up and kind of talk about what their plans are for me and what they expect from me. And then now it’s my time to execute it.”
Mastroeni called Luna’s effort last week “an inspired performance.”
“I think he sees what lies before him if he keeps in this form,” the coach said.
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