Wasatch Soccer Sentinel

Real Salt Lake announced the loan of their homegrown rights to Richard Ledezma to New York City FC for a nine-month period, the club announced today.

Ledezma, 22, attended Real Salt Lake's academy setup until 2019, at which point he signed a professional contract with Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven. His career was somewhat disrupted during the 2020-21 season, when he suffered an ACL injury that kept him out of contention for a year. Despite the injury setback, Ledezma has made 23 appearances for PSV, with seven coming in the 2022-23 season. With the team fighting for a UEFA Champions League spot, it seems perhaps that minutes were going to be scarce for the young midfielder.

Ledezma joining NYCFC comes alongside a small windfall for Real Salt Lake. The club will receive $50,000 in general allocation money and a second-round pick in the 2024 MLS Draft. The club may also receive another $50,000 in allocation which trigger by unspecified performance metrics.