TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Re-signed
Real Salt Lake midfielder Albert Rusnak is going nowhere.
The club and Rusnak agreed to a contract extension through the 2021 season, RSL announced Friday. MLSsoccer.com's Sam Stejskal reported on October 1 that the contract will be worth around $2 million per season. According to the MLS Players Association, he was earning $907,280 in 2018 under his previous deal.
Rusnak, 24, has made 61 appearances in two seasons with the club, scoring 17 goals and adding 21 assists.
“I wanted to stay with Real Salt Lake because this is the perfect place to continue to develop as a player. I enjoy working with Mike Petke and want to thank him, Craig Waibel and Dell Loy Hansen for their support and belief in me,” Rusnak said in a media release. “I have really enjoyed playing for Real Salt Lake the last two years and I am now looking forward to us competing and bringing an MLS Cup back to the fans who have given me and my teammates unbelievable support.”
Rusnak signed with the club ahead of the 2017 season, joining on a Designated Player contract from FC Groningen in the Netherlands' top flight. He had spent three years with Groningen and is a regular member of the Slovakian national team.
“Albert is a very important piece on this team long-term. He’s a piece that, among others, we can build around,” head coach Mike Petke said. “He’s a kid that’s extremely talented and he’s not even at his ceiling yet. He has a hunger for knowledge. He wants to know. He asks questions. For me as a coach, those are players that I want to work with.”
