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Sandy • Youth was among the primary topics addressed by Real Salt Lake general manager Craig Waibel Thursday as spoke to local media about the just-completed season and the year ahead. In the process, Waibel said that he has taken further stepsto fortify the club's next generation of players.
Waibel announced Thursday that RSL has re-signed midfielders Jordan Allen and Luke Mulholland to multi-year deals and that he remains in ongoing negotiations with center backs Justen Glad and Aaron Maund.
"We've had a very consistent effort over the last 12 months to make sure that we hang on, and have the services of many of the players that we feel can contribute for quite some time," Waibel said. "These are steps in the organization to lay the foundation to go out and get those complimentary pieces and the special ones."
Allen just wrapped up his third season at RSL. The 21-year-old homegrown product had three goals and two assists in 23 regular-season appearances — 11 of which were starts. The versatile midfielder once again ran into injury issues in 2016 after overcoming nagging hamstring injuries — and a preseason heart procedure to fix what turned out to be a rapid heartbeat.
"Next year is the year we see him really having a breakout season in terms of consistent performance, consistent continuity and contribution for us," Waibel said. "The big thing for him with me is health."
The 28-year-old Mulholland also recently completed his third year at the club. The English midfielder has continuously worked his way into the starting lineup since his rookie year in 2014. Mulholland started 23 matches in 2016, scoring four goals and nothing two assists. During his three seasons at RSL, Mulholland has started 74 regular-season matches.
Glad, 19, and Maund, 26, became RSL's top starting center back tandem in 2016. Maund's year, however, was cut short when he suffered a season-ending foot fracture the first week of August. Glad started 27 matches in 2016, while Maund started 20.
"Justen at 19 has so much upside, it's amazing," Waibel said. "Aaron Maund's strides the last 18 months have been really remarkable, quite frankly."
Coaching staff to be evaluated next week
A day after RSL held its annual exit meetings with players, Waibel was asked when he'll do the same with the coaching staff. RSL head coach Jeff Cassar's three-year deal at the club expires in at the end of the year, leaving the 42-year-old still in limbo. Waibel said Cassar and the rest of the coaching staff will be evaluated and addressed next week.
"I don't want to set any timeline, but obviously we take five-to-seven days [before meeting with] the players," Waibel said. "It's fair to say we'll evaluate the exact same way."
RSL shoots down Rimando report
"Speculation's fun," Waibel said. "I deal with it every day."
On Thursday, he dealt with it once more. After a report from Sports Illustrated Wednesday that incoming MLS expansion franchise Atlanta United is taking aim at acquiring RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando this offseason, Waibel was asked for a comment on the report.
"At this point I can tell you confidently I have not been contact once by Atlanta for any reason," he said.
The SI report broached the topic that Rimando and Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra are longtime friends and were once teammates together during their college days at UCLA.
Twitter: @chriskamrani