HERRIMAN, Utah (Wednesday, December 21, 2022) – Real Salt Lake today announced the trade of Homegrown defender Aaron Herrera to Canadian Major League Soccer side CF Montréal in exchange for a total of $500,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), a 2023 international roster spot and Montréal’s natural first-round pick in today’s 2023 MLS SuperDraft (25th overall).
The RSL GAM acquired from CF Montréal is split into $350,000 in 2023, with the additional $150,000 conveying in 2024. RSL may also retain a percentage of a future transfer fee for Herrera, should his fee meet a certain threshold.
Herrera, 25, notched 27 appearances for Real Salt Lake in the most recent MLS season, including 25 as a starter. A native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Herrera collected three assists in 2,267 minutes played during the 2022 campaign. The outside back signed with RSL in 2017 as the Club’s 16th Homegrown Player (of a current MLS-high 36 total HGs) following two seasons at the Univ. of New Mexico, where Herrera matriculated following several years at the RSL Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona.
During his MLS career with RSL, Herrera played a total of 132 reg. season and playoff games, including 127 starts, amassing more than 11,000 minutes. The second RSL Homegrown to reach 100 career MLS appearances (DF Justen Glad), Herrera has scored one goal and added 19 assists in his MLS career, including 11 assists during the 2021 season.
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake trades defender Aaron Herrera to CF Montréal in exchange for $350,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money, $150,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money, a 2023 international roster spot and Montréal’s natural first round pick (No. 25 overall) in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
Utah’s Major League Soccer side returns in early January, 2023, as RSL’s preseason preparations in California and Arizona advance the Club’s 19th regular-season kickoff on Saturday, February 25 at Vancouver to kick off the 28th MLS campaign. RSL’s 2023 home opener is slated for Sat., March 11 against Austin FC in a rematch of RSL’s 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs ouster. During the past two seasons, RSL has earned an 18W-7L-9T home record at what is now known as America First Field in Sandy, setting a new Club mark in 2022 with 17 sellout crowds in as many MLS contests at the 14-year-old venue.
Please visit www.RSL.com for the complete 2023 MLS schedule, along with key calendar dates surrounding the quartet of competitions in play next year – MLS regular season, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the highly-anticipated inaugural edition of the MLS v LIGA MX Leagues Cup and the MLS Cup Playoffs. 2023 Season Tickets can be purchased at www.RSL.com/tickets, or by calling 844.Real.Tix.
