Could RSL make more transfer window moves after inking U22 MF Nelson Palacio?

The 22-year-old midfielder from Atlético Nacional in Colombia is the club's third U22 initiative signing, bringing Palacio in at a lower salary cap hit. But is RSL done with this transfer window?

Nelson Palacio is on the ground, locked in with Real Salt Lake, and dancing in his new Claret-and-Cobalt kit.

The 22-year-old midfielder from Colombian power Atlético Nacional joined RSL via permanent transfer, the club announced Thursday morning, and will be available for MLS play pending the arrival of his P-1 work visa and international transfer certificate, as well as the opening of Major League Soccer’s secondary transfer window July 5.

Signing through the 2026 season, with club options in both 2027 and 2028, Palacio — who will wear No. 13 — is one of the largest ground-covering central midfielders Salt Lake has had since Kyle Beckerman retired, and joins a U22 initiative trio that also includes fellow Colombian winger Andrés Gómez and Paraguayan midfielder Braian Ojeda.

That means RSL has now used all three of its young player slots used to attract high-end talent with lucrative contracts on a reduced budget charge, as well as all three Designated Player contracts in Damir Kreilach, Jefferson Savarino and Chicho Arango, who like Palacio will be eligible to play for RSL as soon as July 8 against Orlando City SC.

Bringing Palacio to Utah ahead of his early-July eligibility was a major project for RSL general manager Elliot Fall, who traveled to Bogotá over the weekend for Saturday’s Colombian Apertura A final second leg between Nacional and Millonarios before returning Sunday with Palacio and his representatives.

“Nelson’s addition represents another fantastic piece for our roster for both 2023 and beyond,” Fall said. “Providing another high-level option to our already excellent midfield, Nelson’s athleticism, composure, and ball-playing ability with provide an excellent complement to every other player in our midfield. Nelson’s acquisition is consistent with our strategy of adding talent that fits both short-term needs and long-term quality.

“Nelson has enjoyed quite a bit of success with his boyhood club in Colombia, and he arrives in Utah excited to contribute to our pursuit of silverware this year, and surely in the future as he integrates.”

A true No. 6, Palacio has earned his “destroyer” role for Nacional over the past two years, scoring three goals with one assist in 85 matches across all competitions while helping the club win titles in the 2021 Copa Colombia, 2022 Categoria Primera A championship, and 2023 Superliga Colombia (in addition to seven Copa Libertadores appearances).

With the transfer, RSL’s roster stands at 36 players, including 12 midfielders and three players on loan for the remainder of the 2023 season. But will he be the latest addition during the summer transfer window?

Club sources have told Salt City FC that RSL is still eyeing a few midfield prospects to pair with Jasper Löffelsend, Diego Luna, Pablo Ruiz (Maikel Chang, Emeka Eneli, Scott Caldwell, Moses Nyeman, etc etc etc) and Ojeda, whose loan deal with RSL expires this summer.

It’s likely that any additional signings would come under more modest MLS contracts as the roster is currently constituted. Kreilach’s DP deal with the club could be bought down with allocation money, but sources say that isn’t an immediate consideration for the front office.

Perhaps a bigger concern for RSL is the status of Ojeda’s remaining time in Salt Lake. The Paraguayan international joined Real Salt Lake on a year-long loan from Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest as the club’s first-ever U22 initiative signing, bringing the dynamic two-way midfielder looking for minutes and his family to MLS.

Ojeda made just three appearances after joining then-Championship side Nottingham Forest on a four-year deal in August 2021, and the club subsequently earned promotion to the Premier League while sending him on loan to MLS on Aug. 4, 2022.

Nottingham Forest have seemed less keen on bringing back Ojeda (and a handful of other players on loan in both MLS and beyond) this summer, which could open the door for an extended loan or permanent move for Ojeda.

For their part, Ojeda and his family, as well as RSL brass, have said the footballer would prefer to stay in Salt Lake City — both publicly and privately, according to team sources. But like most transfer discussions, the final determination may come down to money.

Several reports have placed Forest’s value on Ojeda as high as $4 million, a transfer fee that would almost assuredly require RSL to use a DP slot on the 23-year-old midfielder two assists in 23 appearances, including 15 starts, the past two seasons. Again, the possibility remains to buy down Kreilach’s cap hit — but is that the move RSL would make with those resources?

TransferMarkt tabs Ojeda’s worth as a central midfielder at €1.50 million, or close to $2 million (if current conversion rates stand, but this isn’t an international exchange newsletter, so feel free to double-check our math).

Could that be a closer price to keep Ojeda in an RSL uniform? As discussions go, this will be one to watch — and it may help determine the immediate future of Real Salt Lake’s transfer window, which runs through Aug. 2.