Real Salt Lake agrees to club-record deal for Colombian FW Chicho Arango

The 28-year-old striker from Medellin, Colombia will return to Major League Soccer from Liga MX side CF Pachuca, according to The Athletic's Tom Bogart.

Real Salt Lake has reportedly found its No. 9.

RSL has agreed to a club-record signing of Colombian forward Cristian “Chicho” Arango, according to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.

The 28-year-old striker from Medellin, Colombia will return to Major League Soccer from Liga MX side CF Pachuca, where he inked a $6 million deal after breaking out with LAFC in 2021-22.

Several sources confirmed the deal to Salt City FC, but were asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly. Real Salt Lake declined to comment on the transfer report.

Deals like these can be fluid, and the MLS secondary transfer window doesn’t officially open until July 5. That would make Arango’s potential debut with RSL as early as July 8 against Orlando City SC.

“We’re looking to be active, we’re looking to get some deals done in this summer window,” RSL general manager Elliot Fall told ESPN 700 radio. “Hopefully we’ll get some stuff done and we’ll let it be known.” 

“I think there’s some very, very exciting things that we are all very excited about as a club that are percolating,” he added, “and we hope to be able to talk to fans about in the near future.” 

Arango scored 30 goals in 51 appearances with LAFC, earning MLS Newcomer of the Year honors in 2021 before his transfer to Pachuca. LAFC will reportedly receive a portion of the transfer fee, according to Bogert.

At 28, Arango is entering the prime of his career — possibly only slightly past it — but his rise through the ranks has been swift. He signed a three-year contract with Colombian side Millonarios in 2019, where he scored 21 goals in 53 appearances before coming stateside to Los Angeles.

From there, he helped LAFC win the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup in 2022 before a big payday awaited the player and club with Pachuca. In the half-season since joining the Liga MX side, Arango has made 11 appearances and scored five goals.

In Salt Lake, Arango joins attacking options like Damir Kreilach and Jefferson Savarino, as well as emerging Colombian winger Andrés Gómez, who signed under Major League Soccer’s U-22 initiative on a then-club record north of $3 million from Arango’s former club Millonarios FC, according to sources.

It’s presumed that Arango would be a designated player signing at RSL, which currently has just one player registered as a DP in Savarino.