If reports out of Chile are accurate, Real Salt Lake has addressed a key concern today by acquiring Argentine forward Sebastian Jaime from Chilean side Union Espanola. The attacker will seek to fill the gap left by the injured Alvaro Saborio, who will likely be out until September at the earliest.
Although Real Salt Lake has not yet confirmed the acquisition of Jaime, Chilean news site La Nacion is reporting that a deal to send Jaime to Real Salt Lake is complete, pending immigration clearance. The site quotes Union Espanola general manager Johnny Ashwell as saying that Jaime has been seeking a chance to move out of the Chilean Primera Division for some time, and RSL has presented him with just that opportunity.
“[Jaime] felt he had hit a ceiling with Union and in Chile, and now this opportunity [to move to MLS] has come,” Ashwell said, as translated by Total MLS. “The fitness tests were done in Chile, with independent doctors, and the tests were passed. The contracts are signed and that’s why he won’t play [for Union Espanola] on Friday. He will continue training with us until the visa process is complete and his club sends him his ticket.”
The potential addition of Jaime would hopefully provide RSL with a new weapon in attack. In Saborio’s absence, forward Joao Plata has shouldered much of the offensive load for the Claret-and-Cobalt, scoring 9 times on the season. When combined with Saborio’s 6 goals scored prior to injury, the attacking tandem accounts for 15 of RSL’s 17 goals scored by forwards. The two non-Saborio, non-Plata goals were both scored by Olmes Garcia against Montreal. RSL’s remaining forwards who have seen time this season, Robbie Findley and Devon Sandoval, have yet to score.
Any addition by RSL may require the team to release a player, as noted by the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday.
Jaime would hopefully provide Plata with relief up top. From highlights available online, Jaime appears to earn his goals through effort rather than the spectacular. The 27-year-old Argentine has scored one goal in the current iteration of the Chilean Primera Division Campeonato Apertura, having gone 90 minutes in three matches for Union Espanola (2-1-0 record). Union Espanola won the 2013 Primera Division Torneo Transicion. According to soccerway.com, Jaime has notched 54 goals in 143 professional appearances.
Jaime is on Twitter! Follow him at @sebajaime09.
A few Jaime highlights—or “Jaime-lights,” as I hope they come to be known:
