Real Salt Lake has acquired forward Jefferson Savarino on loan from Zulia in Venezuela and signed him as a young designated player.
To make the move, RSL used targeted allocation money to buy down the contract of Joao Plata, who only signed a new DP deal in February. Now more of Plata's $350,000 base salary will count toward RSL's budget.
Savarino will join RSL for at least the rest of the season after scoring 22 goals in 48 games in the Venezuelan top flight. RSL general manager Craig Waibel told the Salt Lake Tribune that the MLS club also has the option to buy the 20-year-old permanently.
Time to get to work. https://t.co/xmAPlzG2Ns pic.twitter.com/JsOjTpasIs
- Real Salt Lake (@RealSaltLake) May 9, 2017
Waibel also told the newspaper he was impressed when Waibel scored the winner against Uruguay's Nacional in the Copa Libertadores in March, and that he should be available to play on Saturday against the New England Revolution.
"Jefferson adds a new dynamic to our roster and continues to challenge the depth of our squad," Waibel said in a statement. "He is young and we will assimilate him into the team as quickly as possible, but his performance at Copa Libertadores shows that he is able to compete and deliver at a high level despite his age."
Savarino is the second player to sign a young DP deal with RSL this year after Slovakia international Albert Rusnak came aboard in January.