Orlando City SC acquires the Right of First Refusal to midfielder Luis Gil from Real Salt Lake in exchange for $100,000 of Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to be delivered in 2018. Gil joins the Lions on a season-long loan from LigaMX side Querétaro Fútbol Club.
The loan includes an option for purchase at the end of the 2017 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. If Gil doesn’t remain with the Club in 2018, Orlando City SC receives $50,000 in TAM from Real Salt Lake in exchange for the Right of First Refusal to Gil.
“Luis offers us another attacking threat and will fit in nicely with our squad,” Orlando City SC General Manager Niki Budalic said. “He [Jason Kreis] spoke very highly of Luis from his time at Real Salt Lake and we’re excited for him to join the team.”
Gil brings a wealth of MLS experience to the Lions at just 23 years old, having featured in 134 regular season games and 11 post-season matches for Real Salt Lake from 2010-15, with 93 of those coming under the Lions current coach. Gil also made four U.S. Open Cup appearances and three in the CONCACAF Champions League, including his 2010 RSL debut against Liga MX side Cruz Azul.
Gil was a fixture in RSL’s starting XI in 2013, making 29 starts among 35 regular and postseason appearances and chipping in five goals and three assists en route to the MLS Cup Final.
The attacking midfielder joined Liga MX in December 2015, and was a member of the Apertura 2016 Copa MX championship-winning team. Gil made 10 total appearances for Los Gallos Blancos.
On the international stage, the Garden Grove, Calif., native scored 15 goals in 61 appearances with U.S. youth national teams. In 2009, Gil was on the squad for the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and FIFA U-17 World Cup. He was also included on the U.S. squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he scored a spectacular goal against Spain. Gil made his first of two senior international appearances on Feb. 1, 2014, against South Korea.