Real Salt Lake signs with Liberian forward Sam Johnson a designated player contract

It seems that Real Salt Lake has its real striker.

The club announced Monday the signing of Liberian striker Sam Johnson to a designated player contract. Johnson is transferred from Valerenga, Norway's first division.

"I'm ready for a new challenge in MLS," Johnson said in a press release. "A lot of clubs have come for me, but Real Salt Lake has put more effort than other clubs. I spoke with my advisor, my mother, and some people who are following the MLS closely and the decision was easy for me to make. I feel like I can introduce myself in one of the biggest leagues in the world. I'm excited to be here and look forward to playing for Salt Lake fans. "

Johnson led Valerenga in goals last year with 11 goals in 21 games. He has played for clubs in his native country, Liberia, Sweden and China. In total, Johnson has scored 66 goals in 162 league games since 2011 and 69 goals in 180 appearances in all competitions.

"I'm happy to welcome Sam into the RSL family," said coach Mike Petke in the release. "It will be nice to integrate it with players and staff and understand how we play. The addition of Sam will provide us with a solid option from the start and will certainly create increased competition on an already busy list. "

The organization has been looking for an attacker since the departure of Yura Movsisyan and Alfredo Ortuño last season. Some were linked to RSL during the off season, including Germán Cano.

The addition of Johnson could contribute to RSL's lack of results last season. The team is ranked 10th in Major League Soccer with 55 goals.

"We are excited to add a player of Sam's quality to our attack," said General Manager Craig Waibel. "He's adding a new dynamic to our front line and he's perfect for our locker room and his workflow is an excellent representation of our club and his fans."