RSL-AZ's Danny Acosta looks set to sign for Real Salt Lake

Danilo "Danny" Acosta, a defender from Real Salt Lake's Arizona-based academy, looks like he's signed with Real Salt Lake.

Acosta, 18, has played with both Real Salt Lake's reserves side in 2014 and for Real Monarchs, which replaced the reserves setup, in 2015. Additionally, he's appeared for U.S. U-18s teams, as well.

Additionally, Acosta changed his Twitter bio, indicating he's a professional at Real Salt Lake. While that's not evidence on its own, it seems like a pretty sure thing; RSL Communications said Acosta's wasn't yet official, but that he had signed with the club.

In July, I said this about Acosta ahead of RSL-AZ's participation in the USSDA Championship:

Having already made a handful of appearances for Real Monarchs, Acosta looks a cut above his defensive peers with his very good reading of the game combined with his ability to win the ball back in difficult positions without conceding a foul.

Of course, Acosta might end up loaned to Real Monarchs for chunks of 2016 — if not the entirety of the USL season — as he starts his professional career. And despite defensive depth still being an issue for RSL, that's likely to be resolved before the season's start, so he's not likely to be pushed into a no-win scenario.

Acosta would be one of several players to graduate from the academy on the first-team roster. He'd join Lalo Fernandez, Phanuel Kavita (presuming he re-signs with RSL), Fito Ovalle, Jordan Allen, Justen Glad, and Sebastian Saucedo.