TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Extension
After a sparkling start to his MLS career, forward Rubio Rubin has been rewarded with a multi-year contract extension by Real Salt Lake, the club announced Monday.
Rubin, who signed for RSL in January following a spell with USL Championship side San Diego Loyal, has penned a deal through 2024, with a club option for the 2025 season.
“I’m thankful to Real Salt Lake for this opportunity. It has been a long time since I can say a place has been my home and I look forward to continue doing the things I’ve been doing – scoring goals for this club and for the fans,” Rubin said in Monday's announcement. “Ultimately, I want to help the team win and be successful and hopefully one day winning MLS Cup. We have those ambitions as a team and I’m excited to have a place that I can work for an extended amount where I can enjoy the process of getting better every day to reach for those goals.”
Rubin, 25, has four goals and two assists in 12 matches so far this season. The Oregon native, who began his career in the Netherlands before spending time in Denmark and Liga MX, made seven appearances for the US men's national team between 2014 and 2018.
“From the day Rubio first set foot in Salt Lake he established himself as a piece of this roster that we want to build around,” RSL general manager Elliot Fall said. “We felt based on his performances earlier this year and his previous contractual situation that it was important to reward his commitment to the team, his commitment to the club and his quality. We are extremely excited that we were able to come to an agreement to keep him in Salt Lake for a long time.”
Added head coach Freddy Juarez: “I’m happy for Rubio. With his quality of play, I think it’s deserved. He is still at a young age to continue to learn and battle, but he’s a good person that is great for the locker room and for the club. Not only did we get a good soccer player locked up for a few years, but we get a good human being that can continue to lead the culture in the right direction. I’m happy that he is going to be able to call Salt Lake home.”
