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Real Salt Lake signs Juan Manuel 'Burrito' Martinez to Designated Player contract

Reuters

Real Salt Lake has signed Argentine striker Juan Manuel Martinez to a Designated Player contract from Boca Juniors, the league announced Thursday.

Martinez, 29, is affectionately referred to as "El Burrito" in South America, where he's played professionally for the last 13 years. He joins the club as a DP following the use of Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to buy down the salary of captain Kyle Beckerman.

"Juan is a player with great quality that can add a new dynamic to our attack while fitting in with our style of keeping possession with the ball on the ground," Craig Waibel, a club director, said in a statement. "A player with his pedigree and background will be a good addition to our locker room and our play on the field."

RSL head coach Jeff Cassar heralded Martinez's experience as one of the attacker's key assets, and one the club will need to rely upon since trading Alvaro Saborio to D.C. United.

"He's played in several high-level situations, and has enjoyed success at each and every stop," Cassar said. "We believe he will bring a style of soccer that we want for our club and our fans."

In addition to his long career in Argentina's first division, where Martinez scored 44 goals in 258 career league appearances, he's made four international appearances, scoring once in September 2012 against Brazil.

RSL fans will have to wait and see whether "El Burrito" is the whole enchilada.

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