SANDY, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – Real Salt Lake has traded veteran forward Justin Meram to Charlotte FC in exchange for $350,000 in General Allocation Money.
Meram, a 13-year MLS veteran, scored eight goals and 16 assists in 91 appearances with RSL, after arriving prior to the 2020 campaign as a free agent. In 2022, Meram led the team with seven assists, appearing in all but one match. During his tenure, Meram helped lead RSL to back-to-back Audi MLS Playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022.
The allocation money will be split between 2023 ($100,000 guaranteed) and 2024 ($100,000) league seasons, with another $150,000 in 2024 GAM received by RSL if certain conditional milestones are met by Meram in Charlotte.
“First and foremost, all of us at RSL must express tremendous gratitude to Justin Meram for his quality and leadership on and off the field during his 94 games played wearing the Claret-and-Cobalt,” said RSL General Manager Elliot Fall, wishing luck to Meram in his future endeavors with Charlotte and beyond.
Major League Soccer’s secondary 2023 transfer window opens July 5, and closes August 2.
Meram provided the game-winning assist to forward Bobby Wood against Sporting Kansas City in the Western Conference Semifinal to give the team its first Western Conference Final appearance since 2013. Also, Meram’s game-winning assist to Damir Kreilach in the 2021 “Decision Day” match Sporting Kansas City, dubbed the “Damiracle,” gave RSL a last-gasp playoff berth under then-interim Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni.
RSL next hosts Seattle Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
