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SANDY — The MLS summer transfer window opened Thursday, but Real Salt Lake general manager Elliot Fall said the team is looking within for some of its biggest additions this month, including the return of 18-year-old star prospect Diego Luna from international duty.
RSL acquired Luna on June 2, and he made his debut just two days later in Vancouver; but this week is the first full week of training he's had with the squad at the Zions Bank facility in Herriman.
"Coming in they've made me feel comfortable and (are) kind of putting me under their wing," Luna said of joining the squad full time. "It's been nice. They also have that in between of being tough on you but also putting their arm around you. It's been good."
After debuting for RSL on June 4, Luna was away from Utah for the rest of the month with the United States U-20 national team, where he helped the U.S. qualify for the 2024 Olympics and U-20 World Cup with a tournament-high five assists.
"He had an exceptional tournament," RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "He's coming with a great deal of confidence in his play. I think he's been bright."
Diego Luna is different man.. insane skill for his age. USMNT fans should be very excited for what the future holds for him. pic.twitter.com/BHAeDWdjna
— USMNT 🇺🇸 (@USMNTTAKES) June 26, 2022
"It was awesome," Luna said of the national team experience. "The team really collected well and now we're preparing for the Olympics and the U-20 World Cup."
Luna turns 19 in September and will be eligible to play in both the U-20 World Cup in June 2023 and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
"My focus is to keep playing how I was performing (with the national team) — keep getting assists and keep getting called up," Luna said. "Performing here is gonna help me a lot, getting good minutes and kind of showing my talent that I did at USL (and) bringing it up to the MLS stage. I think that's going to help me a lot whether that be here, my next move or to the national team."
What kind of talent does Luna bring to RSL and MLS?
He described himself as an attacking midfielder that can use both feet and the he likes to get creative in racking up assists and goals.
Mastroeni called Luna a "thinker," and shared a moment from this week in training when Luna asked Mastroeni about the team's defensive scheme and how it might differ from what he was used to with the national team.
"He's thinking the game, and I think that's a very unique aspect of an 18-year-old's soccer acumen, to really think about those things," Mastroeni said. "He's where he's at because he's a thinker, he's a team player and he's willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win."
Luna said he looked up to German star Marco Reus when he was growing up. Reus also plays as an attacking midfielder, and Luna said he admires his "passing ideas" and soccer IQ.
Had the chance to talk with #RSL star teenager Diego Luna today.
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) July 7, 2022
He said he looked up to Dortmund star Marco Reus when he was younger and admires his passing and soccer IQ. pic.twitter.com/tINxpZKplW
Veteran RSL midfielder Justin Meram called Luna "a special player" and compared him to longtime MLS star Darlington Nagbe "in the way he can control the ball with guys around him and the way he can get out of things with ease."
"I see a lot of potential and he's a great addition for us," Meram said. "I know he will have a big impact for us the second half of the season."
Luna played with the second team during scrimmages at training on Thursday and will have to compete with the likes of Meram and Maikel Chang for first-team minutes.
RSL has not played with a traditional attacking midfielder much this season, instead electing for defensive "pivot" midfielders in the center and wings like Meram, Chang and Jefferson Savarino attacking from the sides.
Luna played along the right wing, where Savarino plays with the first team, during training on Thursday, with Rubio Rubin playing as the forward above him.
If RSL keeps its same formation, it would likely have Luna back up Savarino on that right wing; but Meram said the team always has "two or three formations" at its disposal, which could allow it to feature Luna more prominently in the future.
"I think I can carve my name into this (team) as a playmaker," Luna said. "Someone that finds the ball between lines and creates chances for the team and be exciting to watch for the fans and for everybody else."
Luna will get his first taste of the home crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday when RSL takes on the Colorado Rapids at 8 p.m. MDT.
