SANDY, Utah -- The first and easiest piece of Real Salt Lake general manager Craig Waibel's offseason is complete – now comes the hard part.
Salt Lake exercised their option to purchase the contract of Jefferson Savarino on Thursday. Now Waibel and RSL will turn to the question of whether Brooks Lennon will return following the expiration of his year-long loan from Liverpool. Waibel was clear they're working to keep Lennon as an important piece in a talented group of young wingers that includes Savarino, Lennon, Joao Plata and Bofo Saucedo.
"We still have one more negotiation here to get done to feel really good about our wings," Waibel said. "I think our wing position is the deepest we have because I think we have four guys that can all start."
The status of a couple of club legends is also up in the air. Both Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando are out of contract, and both are eligible for MLS free agency. The veterans have been the two faces of the club since they arrived in Utah in 2007.
"Currently I'm working through some negotiations with guys we're trying to re-sign and looking forward to the next couple pieces of what we'd like to add to make this group a little more special," Waibel said.
Once their status is determined, Waibel and his staff will turn their attention to external additions.
"The first step for me is taking care of everything in our own house," Waibel said. "We're in the middle of it. We'll have a lot of answers within the week, two weeks. As soon as that's done, we start to pull out the binoculars and look across the horizon at the next couple pieces."
Salt Lake's horizon has expanded since Waibel took over following the 2014 season, with the club scouring the globe for impact signings from somewhat unusual locales and increasing their local profile through the RSL academy. Savarino was plucked from Venezuela, Young Designated Player Albert Rusnak is Slovak and Lennon, Saucedo, center back Justen Glad and right back Danilo Acosta are all academy products who have spent time with US youth national teams.
"We're becoming relevant in the world," Waibel said. "We have a young Slovakian national team player, a young Venezuelan national team player, a young Ecuadorian national team player. We have multiple young US national team players. These are steps we have been taking over the last couple of years to make my life less stagnant."
