TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
Rubio Rubin's long-anticipated MLS move appears to be closer than ever. The 24-year-old forward is on the verge of signing with Real Salt Lake, according to Ives Galarcep.
Rubin spent the last few months of 2020 with the San Diego Loyal in the USL Championship, scoring five goals in four appearances. He joined Landon Donovan's side from from Dorados del Sinaloa, where he was on loan from Club Tijuana of Liga MX. He played for Diego Maradona with the lower division Mexican side.
According to Alex Vejar of the Salt Lake Tribune, RSL will not use targeted allocation money on Rubin, who will occupy a senior roster slot. Rubin, who has seven caps with the US men's national team, with his latest appearance coming in 2018, reportedly previously drew interest from Toronto FC and LAFC. At the time, though, he would have had to go through the league's Allocation Process. RSL cleared a hurdle when Rubin was removed from that list in 2019.
Rubin was named the US Soccer Young Male Player of the Year in 2012 and two years later signed a four-year deal with Dutch club FC Utrecht, choosing Europe over a Homegrown offer from the Portland Timbers.
He finished his first Eredivisie season with three goals for Utrecht and then scored a pair of goals for the US in a run to the quarterfinals of the 2015 U-20 FIFA World Cup to continue his upward trajectory. But a foot injury sidelined him for six months and Rubin spent much of the next season with FC Utrecht's reserve side. He moved to Danish side Silkeborg at the start of 2017 and then Stabaek in Norway, but made just 12 combined appearances before signing with Club Tijuana in Feb. 2018.
