Jefferson Savarino linked with return to Brazil

Real Salt Lake’s no. 10 Jefferson Savarino is sounding off in the rumor mill with a possible return to Brazilian soccer.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan winger and Designated Player is well-liked in Salt Lake City but is also well-known to Brazilian audiences after his successful two-year loan at Atlético Mineiro where he scored 22 times and assisted on 22 goals in 98 matches.

Social media went abuzz in his native Venezuela after his goal against the LA Galaxy in Wednesday night’s 2023 US Open Cup quarterfinal match spread Salt Lake’s margin to 3-0 and was enough to hold the Angelenos at bay when their last-ditch efforts materialized into a pair of goals in the 82nd and 84th minutes.

It was a score reversal of their Matchday 16 game when LA came out triumphant – also on a two-minute goal scoring spurt that granted them their first road victory this season.

The news? Negotiations are underway with Fortaleza who wants to purchase his services from Real Salt Lake, according to Argentinian journalist César Luis Merlo, who describes the Brazilian side as "optimistic" over a deal being finalized.

The club is based in the northeastern part of Brazil in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará state and was founded 104 years ago in 1918. They sit ninth in the Brazilian Serie A table with 14 points out of nine matches, but also lead their Group H table in the 2023 Copa Sudamericana and have clinched their way into the knockout round of play-offs.

If the sale comes to fruition, Savarino’s legacy at RSL includes 34 goals and 28 assists in over 120 games for the Claret and Cobalt since his arrival in 2017.

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