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In some interesting news that dropped today, J.R. Eskilson, a reporter at TopDrawerSoccer, is saying that Real Salt Lake will be signing UCLA forward Milan Iloski to a homegrown deal.
Iloski, 20, is said to be skipping his senior year at the school to join MLS.
Looks like Milan Iloski is skipping his senior season with UCLA - been told he is signing a Homegrown contract with Real Salt Lake. Iloski was terrific for the Bruins in 2019. https://t.co/jyX7VOvSG2
— J.R. Eskilson (@JREskilson) January 13, 2020
It’s an interesting signing, should it come to fruition, because Iloski was a good — perhaps not a top standout — prospect at the academy level, and he’s very much flown under RSL fans’ radar.
Under the radar in college soccer, though? Probably not. In 16 games with the Bruins, Iloski scored 17 goals, which included a five-goal game against San Diego State. (If you’re wondering: Yes, that broke the school’s goalscoring record.)
There are many ways a signing like this could go, of course. In the post-draft era (not literally, of course) it’s a little more difficult to judge where Iloski might have landed in the draft, but one would imagine that many clubs have time for a 17-goal-scoring college player.
We’ll be eagerly awaiting to see how Iloski fares in the league. He might cut a Corey Baird-like entrance and create an instantaneous spark; he could be more like Tate Schmitt and see regular minutes with Real Monarchs.