SANDY, Utah (Friday, February 7, 2020) - Real Salt Lake has agreed to transfer forward Jefferson Savarino to Atlético Mineiro in Brazil’s Serie A for a club-record transfer fee.
“We want to thank Jefferson for his contributions to Real Salt Lake’s success during his three years with the club and wish him the best of luck throughout his career,” Real Salt Lake General Manager Elliot Fall said. “We have our sights set on several players to replace him on the roster and are in the process of doing our due diligence to ensure that we bring in players that can contribute on the field, but also fit into our locker room and into our community.”
Savarino, 23, originally joined RSL on loan from Zulia in his native Venezuela in 2017. After a successful first season that saw him contribute six goals and five assists in 22 MLS matches while RSL fell one point shy of a playoff berth, he was transferred to RSL. In the two years that followed, he notched 15 goals and 16 assists in 60 league matches while helping RSL reach the MLS Cup Playoffs in each season, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals in both campaigns.
During his time with RSL, Savarino also became a regular with the Venezuela National Team. After making his international debut on June 3, 2017 at Rio Tinto Stadium in a 1-1 draw with the U.S. He has since earned 13 caps, with one goal and two assists for Venezuela, his lone goal coming in a 3-0 win over the U.S. on June 9, 2019 in Cincinnati.
Real Salt Lake finished the 2019 season third in the Western Conference at 16-13-5 (53 points) and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals for the second consecutive season. RSL will open the 2020 season on the road against Orlando City SC on February 29 before returning to Rio Tinto Stadium for the home opener against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 7, at 12 p.m. MT.
RSL is currently in the third leg of preseason training camp in Herriman, Utah, preparing for the club’s 16th season in Major League Soccer.
TRANSACTION: Transferred forward Jefferson Savarino to Atlético Mineiro on February 7, 2020.
