SALT LAKE CITY — Real Salt Lake had a busy MLS transfer deadline, but it only resulted in one addition, so far.
The team announced Wednesday it obtained striker Willy Agada via trade from Sporting Kansas City for $500,000 in 2025 general allocation money. RSL will send an additional $350,000 in 2026 GAM to Kansas City if Agada re-signs with the club in 2026.
“We are very excited to add another aggressive and versatile attacking option to our team, as Willy brings MLS experience to our striker group,” RSL chief soccer officer Kurt Schmid said. “He makes the right runs at the right times, and consistently finds himself in good spots to take high-quality chances to score.”
Agada appeared in 40 of Kansas City’s 42 matches across all competitions last year and scored a team-high 12 goals. The 25-year-old Nigerian native came to MLS in 2022 and has 24 goals across all competitions with Kansas City since his arrival. He will be eligible for RSL’s next match in San Diego on Saturday.
The Claret and Cobalt have scored just eight goals this season, which is tied for fifth-worst in the league. Diego Luna is the only player with multiple goals in MLS play, proving that a clear scoring vacuum exists for the Utah club, which lost its two leading goal scorers from 2024.
Agada figures to move almost immediately to the top of a striker group that has alternated between young prospects Forster Ajago, Ari Piol and Jesus Barea. Piol and Barea have played most recently, with Ajago going down to the minor league Real Monarchs. None have cemented themselves as a full-time starter, however.
RSL very nearly brought in two strikers early on deadline day, but advanced talks surrounding 25-year-old Slovak Robert Bozenik stalled when GiveMeSport’s Tom Bogert reported that his club in Portugal, Boavista, “tried to change the terms” of the deal on Wednesday.
Bozenik was already in Utah, completed a physical with RSL, and was at the facility in Herriman when news of the deal’s complications started to circulate.
RSL was also briefly linked with another former Kansas City player, Scottish striker Johnny Russell, who, along with the entire Sporting franchise, has something of a turbulent rivalry history with RSL.
Wednesday brings an end to the primary MLS transfer window, with international player movement now paused until the second window opens from July 24 to August 21.
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