Fidel Barajas joins Real Salt Lake - Charleston Battery receive record fee

Real Salt Lake City have signed USL Championship wonderkid Fidel Barajas from Charleston Battery. Transfermarkt can confirm an initial report by The Athletic that Barajas is heading to Major League Soccer in a deal worth $250,000 plus future incentives, including a percentage of any future transfer for the Charleston Battery. Barajas has signed a contract with RSL through the 2026 MLS campaign, with Club options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

With the deal completed, Barajas is one of the most expensive outgoing transfer in Charleston’s history. The 17-year-old, who represented Mexico at the U17 World Cup this fall, will also become one of the ten most expensive outgoing transfers in the history of the USL Championship (overview). “My time with the Charleston Battery was amazing, from the coaches to the teammates to the staff, they all helped me grow and develop immensely,” said Barajas in a club statement. “The ability to get this experience with the club and at a high level in the USL Championship was priceless. Coach Pirmann and the Battery owners’ belief in me gave me the confidence I needed, especially at such a young age, to perform day in and day out.”

One of the other players on the list is Diego Luna. Real Salt Lake acquired Luna in a deal worth around $250,000 from El Paso Locomotive in the summer of 2022. It was a transfer that has worked out well for both Luna and RSL as the young midfielder has become a key player for the Major League Soccer side, increasing his market value to an incredible €4.5m since joining from the USL. 

Who is Fidel Barajas? Real Salt Lake signing models his game after Di Maria

Barajas certainly has the potential to follow in Luna’s footsteps. But what sort of player is Barajas? Speaking to Transfermarkt in December as part of the Talents Calendar series, Barajas said that he models his game after the Argentine star Ángel di Maria. "My strengths would be probably my left foot, my shot from outside the box, my 1-on-1’s against defenders," Barajas said.

Barajas’ head coach, Ben Primann, was also full of praise when asked about the midfielder’s abilities. “Fidel has an incredible ability to strike the ball; he is mainly left-footed, but he has shown at all levels that he can score with his right foot as well,” Primann said. “He can cross, play short and long passes, and is dangerous on free kicks. He is dangerous on the dribble but doesn’t have explosive speed yet, so he must have the ball close to his feet. He plays much wiser and stronger than most teenagers of the same age group.”