Real Salt Lake adds veteran DF DeAndre Yedlin from FC Cincinnati at close of summer transfer window
The 32-year-old outside back will train with Salt Lake on Thursday and Friday and be immediately eligible for selection Saturday against Minnesota United FC.
Real Salt Lake’s ownership group has started cooking with gas.
The club that currently sits just one point outside the playoffs in the Western Conference closed the MLS summer transfer window with a bang Thursday, announcing the signing of veteran U.S. international and former Premier League fullback DeAndre Yedlin from FC Cincinnati.
Yedlin will train with Salt Lake on Thursday and Friday and be eligible for selection to Pablo Mastroeni’s side on the weekend against Minnesota United FC after sending $304,700 in 2025 General Allocation Money to the Queen City.
“RSL is an historic club in MLS, with an amazing reputation around the League,” Yedlin said from the airport Wednesday night. “I’ve played with two of the club’s iconic people, Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman (with the U.S. men’s national team, and I was coached by Jason Kreis in Miami. I’ve known (chief soccer officer) Kurt Schmid since my Seattle days, (director of recruitment) Jon Spencer is a family friend. Pablo Mastroeni’s reputation is excellent with his track record of success on and off the pitch. The culture they’ve built there is outstanding.
“As a visitor, I always hated to travel there – it’s a tough place to play, at altitude, against a high-energy team,” he added. “You know you’re gonna get a tough game, against a team that plays good football and is fun to watch. RSL has always had what it takes to compete. It was exciting to hear of their interest in me becoming part of the setup at RSL, and something my family and I needed to explore.”
The expectation is for Yedlin to sign a new long-term contract with RSL after Cincinnati added the Seattle native last March from Inter Miami in exchange for $172,799 in 2024 GAM.
Yedlin started 22 of his 27 matches over the past year and change in Cincinnati, totaling four assists in 1,974 minutes as a right-sided wing back. Prior to that, the former U.S. Open Cup champion with Seattle in 2014 played in 65 matches over three years in Miami after returning to the United States following an overseas career with Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Galatasaray in Türkiye.
After a breakout 2014 FIFA World Cup, he joined Spurs on a four-year deal with the Premier league side amid interest from AS Roma and other European clubs. Yedlin played in 187 games in Europe, including 151 for Newcastle, who earned promotion to England’s top flight in 2016-17 and immediately becomes one of most experienced players with Real Salt Lake.
Only eight players in RSL history have played more games in Europe than Yedlin, a list that included fellow 2025 addition Johnny Russell (334) and Designated Player striker Diogo Gonçalves (220).
But for Yedlin, the change to player in for a club closer to his native West Coast and provide mentorship with rising young stars like Diego Luna was an attractive option for the married father of two.
“From one homegrown to another, it has been great to see how Justen Glad has done there, building a career at his boyhood club; Diego Luna is a guy who has blown up on the scene by being an extremely hard worker and willingness to work on both sides of the ball; when your attacking guys and technically proficient players buy in, as Diego has, with some grit and a chip on his shoulder, it inspires the whole group to do the defensive work and never stop fighting,” he said.
“My family is excited for the move, looking forward to living in the mountains, which will be a whole different world with the nature there,” added Yedlin. “I’m excited to get back to the West, as I’ve always felt at home in the mountains; my grandfather and I used to go hiking a lot when I was a child. I find them very calming and relaxing. My wife is from The Bronx, and she cannot wait.”
Yedlin will wear No. 2 for Real Salt Lake as he becomes the ninth player with World Cup experience in club history — including 2014 U.S. teammates Rimando and Beckerman.
The club returns home Saturday on a two-match losing skid with five of its next six games on Utah soil through early October before an MLS decision day Saturday Oct. 11 in Seattle — where Yedlin starred with Crossfire Premier and played with the Sounders U23s before college at Akron and signing his first professional contract with his hometown club in 2013.
It’s also expected that MLS will reschedule Salt Lake’s Aug. 30 game to a later date after the Sounders advanced to the Leagues Cup semifinals over Puebla via penalty shootout.l
In addition to Gonçalves, Russell, Luna and first-year goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, the club the vacancy left by former DP striker Chicho Arango in January by adding 24-year-old Brazilian forward Rwan Cruz on Loan from Botafogo, as well as 25-year-old Nigerian pro Victor Olatunji on a TAM deal.
Both players have already debuted for Salt Lake and should be available Saturday against Minnesota (7:30 p.m. MT, MLS Season Pass).