RSL trades Meram to Charlotte, but late trade change receives cash instead of forward
RSL trades Meram to Charlotte, but late trade change receives cash instead of forward
The 34-year-old journeyman winger moves to his fifth team in MLS since being drafted in the first round of the 2011 SuperDraft.
SANDY, Utah — You didn’t think Real Salt Lake would get through the final day of Major League Soccer’s primary transfer window without some drama, did you?
The latest acquisition was, indeed, dramatic.
Real Salt Lake is finalizing the addition of forward Andre Shinyashiki from Charlotte FC in exchange for veteran winger Justin Meram, a source confirmed to Salt City FC at the transfer deadline. The Athletic’s Tom Bogert first reported the move.
But 48 hours later, after both teams had submitted the trade request to Major League Soccer, the trade was amended.
Instead, RSL will receive up to $350,000 in general allocation money in exchange for the fourth-year RSL winger and 13-year veteran of MLS, with an event split of $100,000 per year in 2023 and 2024 and an additional $150,000 in allocation money if Meram meets certain performance incentives in Charlotte.
“First and foremost, all of us at RSL must express tremendous gratitude to Justin Meram for his quality and leadership on and off the field during his 94 games played wearing the Claret-and-Cobalt,” RSL general manager Elliot Fall said in a statement, wishing Meram and his family luck in Charlotte and beyond.
Major League Soccer’s secondary 2023 transfer window opens July 5, and closes August 2.
A fan favorite and frequent media guest in his four seasons with Real Salt Lake, Meram recorded eight goals and 16 assists in 91 appearances, after arriving prior to the 2020 campaign as a free agent. In 2022, Meram led the Utah side with seven assists, appearing in all but one match (due to international duty with the Iraq National Team). During his Claret-and-Cobalt tenure, Meram helped lead RSL to back-to-back Audi MLS Playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022.
Shinyashiki, a 25-year-old Brazilian who was once named MLS Rookie of the Year in 2019 after debuting with the Colorado Rapids out of the University of Denver, was initially agreed to move as part of the deal. But the native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who prepped at Montverde Academy in Florida instead will remain with Charlotte FC Shinyashiki scored 16 goals in 86 appearances before being traded to Charlotte in 2022.
He started in 10 of his 26 appearances with Charlotte, scoring six goals before his playing time gradually decreased to just 34 combined minutes in the last four MLS regular-season appearances this year.
Shinyashiki was under contract through 2025 with Charlotte FC, with an option for 2026.
Meram, a former Iraqi international who made 35 appearances with the Middle East national team but who is known most for his two stints with the Columbus Crew, came to Real Salt Lake before the 2020 season and has scored eight goals with 16 assists over the past four years with the Claret-and-Cobalt.
But he’s recently been relegated to coming off the bench in Sandy, with just two starts through the first six games (181 minutes) that include an assist in RSL’s 2-1 loss at FC Dallas a week ago when he played 25 minutes — his only playing time for the past three matches.
TRANSACTIONS: On April 24, 2023, Real Salt Lake acquires $200,000 in guaranteed General Allocation Money (GAM) from Charlotte FC in exchange for FW Justin Meram, with the possibility of an additional $150,000 in conditional 2024 GAM.