Real Salt Lake and forward Juan Manuel Martinez have mutually agreed to part ways, the club announced Tuesday.
The 31-year-old designated player is leaving "so he and his family can return to his native Argentina and be closer to his extended family," according to a news release.
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"Juan’s family has always been the most important thing to him," RSL general manager Craig Waibel said. "Unfortunately, the adjustment to life in Salt Lake City off the field with young kids didn’t work out as well as we all wanted it to. In the end Juan was very happy here with the organization and MLS, but at this point we feel the most important thing is to make sure that he and his family can be home and closer to their family."
Martinez appeared in 41 MLS matches after signing with the club in August 2015, recording eight goals and four assists. He joins longtime playmaker Javier Morales in departing Salt Lake this offseason, leaving the club's attack poised for a substantial offseason makeover.
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"I want to thank Real Salt Lake for the wonderful opportunity to play in Utah," Martinez said. "The fans were tremendous and I can’t thank them enough for their support over the last two seasons. I am proud of what we accomplished in 2016 and I want to thank my teammates, the coaches, the club and our supporters for all that they did to make this feel like home."
