Real Salt Lake Adds U.S. National Team Defender DeAndre Yedlin
Aug 21, 2025, 9:46 AM | Updated: 11:40 am
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: DeAndre Yedlin #91 of FC Cincinnati controls the ball whilst under pressure from Telasco Segovia #8 of Inter Miami CF during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake continues tinkering with its roster midseason, acquiring U.S. National Team defender DeAndre Yedlin from FC Cincinnati. Yedlin is expected to debut with the club on Saturday when RSL hosts Minnesota United FC.
RSL announced the deal on Thursday, August 21. Cincinnati receives $304,700 in 2025 General Allocation Money.
“RSL is an historic club in MLS, with an amazing reputation around the League,” said Yedlin before arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport. “I’ve played with two of the Club’s iconic people, Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman, and I was coached by Jason Kreis in Miami. I’ve known (Chief Soccer Officer) Kurt Schmid since my Seattle days, (Director of Recruitment) Jon Spencer is a family friend. (Head Coach) Pablo Mastroeni’s reputation is excellent with his track record of success on and off the pitch. The culture they’ve built there is outstanding.”
DeAndre Yedlin is headed to Grid City 🟦⬜️🟦⬜️
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) August 21, 2025
“My family is excited for the move, looking forward to living in the mountains, which will be a whole different world with the nature there,” added Yedlin, father of two young children. “I’m excited to get back to the West, as I’ve always felt at home in the mountains. My grandfather and I used to go hiking a lot when I was a child. I find them very calming and relaxing. My wife is from The Bronx, and she cannot wait.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome DeAndre to our club,” said RSL chief soccer officer Kurt Schmid. “He is a player of tremendous quality whose experience at the highest levels of the game will be invaluable to our team.”
“Beyond his skill on the field, his leadership and professionalism will strengthen our locker room and help set the tone,” Schmid continued. “We believe DeAndre’s impact will be felt immediately, and we’re excited about the role he will play in driving our success now and into the future.”
About DeAndre Yedlin
Yedlin brings a wealth of MLS and international experience with him.
He has played 218 MLS matches and is a three-time MLS All-Star (2013, 2014, 2022).
In addition to his MLS experience, Yedlin played 187 games of European soccer from 2015 to 2022. He played 151 matches with Newcastle and has a handful of appearances with Sunderland, Tottenham, and Turkish team Galatasaray.
BREAKING: Real Salt Lake agree deal to acquire DeAndre Yedlin from FC Cincinnati, per sources.
Yedlin will sign new long-term deal in RSL, I’m told. pic.twitter.com/9mSmlcKLNO
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) August 21, 2025
Yedlin is a two-time World Cup participant (2014 & 2022) and has 81 appearances with the USMNT since 2014. He was the youngest member of the 2014 World Cup team.
How To Watch Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake returns to America First Field after a two-game road trip to host Minnesota United FC on Saturday, August 23. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. MT.
All Major League Soccer games are broadcast on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.
All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2024 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals. KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.
For more Real Salt Lake coverage and analysis, subscribe to The RSL Show and follow them on Instagram.
You can find KSL Sports coverage of Real Salt Lake here.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
