December 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release
HERRIMAN, Utah – Real Salt Lake today selected eight players via the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, including a quartet of first-round picks – FW Jesus Barea (19th overall our of Missouri State), GK Max Kerkvliet (21st – Connecticut), FW Linekar Rodrigues dos Santos (29th – Marshall) and FW Sergi Solans (30th – Oregon State). RSL’s four selections marked the second-most of the first round (Colorado, five) en route to the second-most picks throughout the entire draft (also Colorado, nine overall).
RSL entered the day with only the 19th, 49th and 79th overall picks in the event’s three rounds, but added three more just hours prior to the 2025 MLS SuperDraft as part of its acquisition of Elias Manoel. RSL sent $700,000 in future General Allocation Money (GAM) to New York, taking each of the Red Bulls natural selections (29th, 59th and 89th overall), as well as New York’s natural second rounder in next year’s draft.
During the first round, RSL also acquired two more picks, sending $75,000 in 2024 GAM to the Columbus Crew for the 21st overall pick and $50,000 to LA Galaxy for the 30th overall pick, the final selection of the first round.
In the second round, RSL utilized both picks to select a pair of defensive specialists, taking junior DF Nick Deng from the Univ. of Virginia, with the 49th overall selection, while choosing senior GK Trace Alphin out of Wake Forest with the 59th overall pick.
The third and final round saw RSL pick 79th and 89th overall, taking another Demon Deacon, MF Liam O’Gara and Bison DF Aleksandar Vukovic, out of Marshall University.
Barea, born in Cádiz, Spain, recently completed his senior season at Missouri State University, earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors. The Spaniard appeared in all 18 matches, all starts, for the Bears, logging 1,382 total minutes. Recording 15 goals during the 2024 season, Barea became the second-highest scorer in an MSU single season, the fourth-most in all of Division I during the 2024 season. The Spanish standout, a four-year starter for MSU, left the collegiate game with 34 goals and 19 assists, after a second-round exit in the 2024 NCAA tourney.
“I was really happy and so excited to see my name on there, especially to Real Salt Lake,” said Barea via phone just minutes following the Draft’s completion. “RSL is a place that I’m looking forward to, it’s a really emotional moment. The community, the fan base, the stadium,…
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