Real Salt Lake opens summer transfer window adding former Orlando winger Benji Michel
Real Salt Lake’s first signing of Major League Soccer’s summer transfer window may not be the game-changing No. 10 that many have projected. But he’s a strong depth piece for the trophy-chasing club.
Real Salt Lake’s first signing of Major League Soccer’s summer transfer window may not be the game-changing No. 10 that many have projected. But he’s a strong depth piece for the trophy-chasing club.
The club has added winger Benji Michel, a former U.S. youth international and Orlando City winger most recently from Arouca in Portugal, RSL announced Friday morning, sending $50,000 in general allocation money and a potential 2025 MLS SuperDraft second-round pick swap to the Central Florida side in exchange for Michel’s MLS rights.
Orlando City SC will hold the better of the two 2025 second-round picks upon completion of the deal.
The 26-year-old attacker is under contract with Salt Lake through the end of the 2024 season if certain performance-based metrics are achieved, with club options for both 2025 and 2026. He’ll be immediately available for selection ahead of Saturday’s decisive Rocky Mountain Cup road match with the Colorado Rapids.
“First off I would like to give my thanks to God for answering my prayers,” said Michel following Thursday’s RSL training session in Colorado, where the dual USA-Haitian national sported the No. 28 jersey. “It’s an honor to join such an amazing organization like RSL. The excitement and the projection this team is on right now just makes me want to give it my all for the crest. The culture within the group is just phenomenal.
“Since day one when I arrived here, I felt the warm welcome and right at that moment I knew I was in the right place. Honestly it just feels good to be back in MLS. With all of the faces joining the league and especially the World Cup coming to U.S in 2026 the league will just get better. I can’t wait to meet all the fans and those groups who make up the RIOT. I promise to give this club my all when my name is called upon, whenever and wherever.”
Michel came up through Orlando’s academy system, where he scored 25 goals before signing with the club as a homegrown in 2019 following a college career at the University of Portland that included West Coast Conference freshman of the year honors in 2016. He went on to make 119 appearances with 19 goals and nine assists across all competitions for Orlando, including the game-winner in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final in 2022 that secured the first trophy in the club’s MLS era.
Following the expiration of his contract, Michel made the move to Portugal with Arouca, where he scored his first goal just five days into his deal in a 4-0 win over Portimonense. That would be the lone goal of his Portuguese career.
A former U.S. youth international, Michel debuted with the Haitian national team on March 12, 2019 in a CONCACAF Nations League qualifying match against Cuba, but declined the call-up. He was later called in that year to the United States’ U-23 summer training camp in Orlando by current RSL club director and former U.S. youth coach Jason kreis. He received his first senior team call up in January 2021 for a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, but was an unused sub.
From the club
# 28 – Benji Michel
Pronunciation: BEN - jee muh - SHELL
Position: Forward
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
College: Univ. of Portland
Date of Birth: 23 October 1997 (26)
Nationality: American / Haitian
How Acquired: Signed MLS contract on July 17, 2024
Transaction: Real Salt Lake acquires Orlando City’s Right of First Refusal for FW Benji Michel in exchange for the higher 2025 Second Round MLS SuperDraft pick and $50,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (GAM), if certain performance metrics are attained