SANDY, Utah — New additions to Real Salt Lake are starting to trickle towards the finish line, both from inside and outside the club.
But after selling longtime club star Zavier Gozo for a club-record transfer fee to Crystal Palace in England’s Premier League, are the reinforcements enough?
RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni was vocal about the fatigue after his team played its fifth game in 15 days across all competitions with a roster smacked by depth concerns, highlighted (or low-lighted) by medium- to long-term injuries to starting center back Justen Glad (adductor) and right wing back Zach Booth (hamstring).
“Nobody feels bad for us,” the head coach added.
“We can make a million excuses, but nobody cares. We’ve got to find solutions, and how we do that is together.”
But Mastroeni also stressed the franchise’s need for increased depth, especially if Real Salt Lake wants to contend for trophies in MLS play and the Leagues Cup, where it faces Liga MX side Club Leon in a quarterfinal next Tuesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
Sporting director Kurt Schmid is currently in Europe searching for additional players, with team sources indicating there are several targets during the current window.
Real Salt Lake is also working to finalize an agreement on a long-term extension for breakout star Sergi Solans, the rookie striker with 11 goals and three assists across all competitions whom ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle reported will sign a 4 1/2-year extension that begins Jan. 1 and includes a “significant raise” for the 2025 first-round MLS SuperDraft pick.
“I’m very happy to be here,” Solans said after scoring a goal Wednesday in the club’s 4-3 loss to FC Dallas, “and I’m grateful to the club that gave me an opportunity when nobody knew who I was.”
Another domino cleared the finish line Friday morning, when RSL finalized the addition of 19-year-old U.S. youth international midfielder Colin Guske from Orlando City SC on loan for the rest of the 2026 MLS season.
The deal also nets $50,000 in in 2026 general allocation money for Orlando, which agreed to a permanent trade option should RSL decide to acquire the midfielder full-time prior to Dec. 31.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity with RSL,” said Guske, who made 16 first-team appearances including four starts with Orlando. “I’ve always seen this club with passionate supporters, a team with a strong identity, clearly focused on growth and development, while finding ways to win.”
Guske flew to Salt Lake City midweek to finalize the arrangement, per RSL’s announcement.
“I’m looking forward to learning under Coach Pablo, who played at a high level, bringing a lot of experience and knowledge to the game,” he added. “I’m grateful to be here and ready to get to work.”
Guske recently played a full 90 minutes in Orlando’s 2-2 Leagues Cup draw with Atletico San Luis. The homegrown midfielder also played 45 matches in MLS NEXT Pro with Orlando City B, totaling 3,648 minutes with one goal and four assists.
He’s the latest midfield addition to the squad, though most have come internally. Argentine playmaker Pablo Ruiz played his most minutes since returning from a pair of injuries two years ago during the phase one of Leagues Cup, starting two of three matches with goals against Atlante and Tigres.
Emeka Eneli is also primed to return to full training with the team after undergoing a minor knee surgery to address a patella condition in late March. Any full timeline for his return remains unclear, but club executive Jason Kreis told ESPN 700 earlier this week that a return for the later stages of the 2026 MLS campaign remains a strong possibility.
The same could be true of Ari Piol, who underwent surgery in early March to repair a torn Achilles’ tendon tendon the Australian striker suffered in the club’s home-opener against Seattle.
Typical recovery for such an injury with surgery is six to nine months to return to full activities, including running and jumping.
But with the summer transfer window open until Sept. 2 - give or take a few days for the league office to process paperwork for finalized decisions, usually — the next 10 days will be critical in Real Salt Lake’s ceiling for the remainder of the season.
With an active six-match winless skid in MLS play and a three-game road trip in the immediate purview, the rest of the campaign rests on the present.
