Waibel: RSL is transfer target's first choice

Craig Waibel, in an interview on ESPN 700 today, didn't reveal Real Salt Lake's transfer target, and he didn't announce that a deal was complete.

But Waibel, Real Salt Lake's technical director, did say that their first-choice target is still in the works, and that there are several options for the player involved.

"There is no question in my conversation that there are multiple opportunities for the player I'm in conversation to go to three, four, five different countries in the world," Waibel said. "He's got a family, he's got kids, he's thinking bigger than soccer. He's also thinking coming here proving to himself and the organization that we want him here for five or six years."

That player, he said, "selected" Real Salt Lake, which speaks very well for the possibility of signing the player.

"This is his number one priority in terms of where he wants to be, and there are a ton of reasons why he'd want to be here personally, and even more reasons why he'd like to come here and perform consistently and extend his stay," he said. This isn't a player that is out of options, this is a player that has many, many options, and quite frankly selected our team."

Of course, the deal isn't done yet, with several factors playing in — including the player, his representation, and his club.

"I've spoken at length the player, the representative, and we're all on the same page. The desires are the exact same," Waibel said. "One of the issues in this situation that we're in is that there's paperwork, and we're dealing with another club."

Calling the player "technical" who will help Real Salt Lake with their possession-oriented approach, Waibel also emphasized his hard-nosed approach.

"He's also going to add a little bit of venom," he said. "He's an extremely stubborn player, and one that's proven time and time again that he's willing to get stuck in, he's a physical guy, he holds the ball. In the attacking half of our field, he adds another remarkably talented option."

Despite being confident that the deal will get done, Waibel said he's not going to announce anything until a deal is finalized.

"We're talking about a player in a different country," he said. "Until it's finalized, I'm kind of one of guys that believes in not getting too far down the road here."