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Sandy • A timeless talent enters this offseason with a sizable question mark.

Javier Morales, an integral part of the original core that sparked the Real Salt Lake revolution eight years ago, will be out of contract at the club he rose to stardom at once the season ends in December. The Argentine midfielder has scored 25 goals and logged 33 assists in league play since the start of the 2013 season. This year, he has eight goals and 11 assists.

Despite missing nearly two full seasons due to injury (2007 and 2011), Morales has 45 goals and 76 assists, which equates to 25 percent of the club's all-time goals despite arriving at RSL in the summer of 2007.

He's aging, sure, but his story on the pitch is tale being told in reverse.

He turns 36 in January, which leaves the Morales, his representatives and the RSL front office in somewhat of a tricky spot. Is there a chance the RSL fan base has seen the last of Morales in a Claret-and-Cobalt uniform? It's unclear whether or not he'll be in the 18-man roster that closes out the disappointing 2015 season Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink Field in downtown Seattle.

Asked if he expects to be back at RSL in 2016 and beyond, Morales said the decision remains unclear. He said RSL general manager Craig Waibel told him he expects a deal to be finalized before October ends.

"Like I told them, 'I would like to stay,' but I don't know what they're thinking and why they're taking too long to make a decision," Morales said. "But I have to wait now. It's not in my hands."

Right back Tony Beltran was drafted in 2008, the same year Morales officially introduced himself to MLS by notching a career-high 15 assists in RSL's first year of its eventual seven-year playoff streak. Beltran admitted that returning for another season at RSL without Morales would be "very strange."

"He's been here since the beginning," Beltran said. "It'd be the same as having Kyle [Beckerman] or Nick [Rimando] not come back. He's an RSL staple. I'm not sure what's going on there with that situation, but it's a pleasure playing with him. I'm sure he could do it for many years longer."

The prime conduit for RSL's offense for the last eight seasons, Morales has played his best soccer the last two seasons, which has been more impressive considering it comes following his horrific lower leg fractures suffered in May 2011.

According to salary numbers recently released by the MLS Player Union on Sept. 15, Morales' guaranteed compensation was $300,000 this season. That makes him the fifth-highest paid player on RSL behind new Designated Player Burrito Martinez, Beckerman, Rimando and Luis Gil, who is also out of contract when the season ends.

RSL coach Jeff Cassar arrived a few months before Morales did in 2007 when he was hired as an assistant coach under former head coach Jason Kreis. And Cassar didn't sidestep the loss Morales would be, should he not be back at RSL next year.

"It would suck," Cassar said. "It would absolutely suck. I think Javi's playing some of his best soccer the last two years that we've been together. He's taking care of his body, but at the end of the day, that's between Craig and Javi and his agent to come up [and] do the right thing for each side. But I know how important he is to myself and the team."

Measuring the importance of each member of that RSL core assembled starting in 2007, it's difficult to quantify the value Morales holds. Rimando's stock soared, putting him atop the list for best goalkeepers in MLS — maybe ever. Beckerman's fiery presence and rare skillset was the fabric of what Kreis and the staff wanted to turn RSL adopt.

But Morales was — and is — something completely different. Something the club never had before, and maybe never have again after. As the sport evolves and new formations and styles are implemented, Morales has remained the same player: A locksmith staring at a line of locks. RSL has long relied on his brilliance to create goals and chances of goals for others.

Will it continue in 2016? Time is fickle.

"I've grown up here as a person, as a player, and a lot of things in eight years here," Morales said. "I'm very happy here, my family's happy. My youngest [son was] one born here, so Real and this city [means] a lot for me."

And vice versa.

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani