Morgan Guilavogui has completed a permanent transfer from RC Lens to Real Salt Lake, sealing a move to Major League Soccer in a deal worth €5.00m. The Guinea- and France-qualified right winger joins the Utah-based club from the Ligue 1 side with his contract at Real Salt Lake running from 2026-02-03 to 2029-12-31.
The 27-year-old arrives in MLS with a current market value of €4.00m, meaning Real Salt Lake have invested above his most recent valuation to secure his services. The transfer marks the latest step in a career that has taken Guilavogui through French and German football before this confirmed switch to the United States.
Before signing for Real Salt Lake, Guilavogui was on the books at Lens, having initially joined the northern French club from Paris FC. During his time with Lens, he also experienced German football with FC St. Pauli, first on loan and then via a short-term return arrangement, before heading back to the Ligue 1 side. That sequence has now ended with his move across the Atlantic to MLS.
Guilavogui’s club path reflects a steady rise through the French system. After his youth years at AS Saint-Étienne’s academy and age-group sides, he progressed through Sporting Club de Toulon’s youth and senior teams, then earned his step up to Paris FC. Consistent performances there helped elevate his value from hundreds of thousands of euros to over a million, eventually peaking at the €4.00m mark he holds today.
Primarily deployed as a right winger, the 1.89 m attacker is listed as an attacking wide player with a right-footed preference. His profile suggests a blend of physical presence and attacking thrust, attributes that Real Salt Lake will look to harness in MLS competition. His ability to operate in the attacking line from wide positions adds tactical flexibility for his new club.
Internationally, Guilavogui holds both Guinea and French nationality, underlining a dual identity that has shaped his career to date. The move to the United States positions him firmly abroad relative to both home countries, shifting his exposure from European leagues such as Ligue 1 and the 2. Bundesliga to the growing profile of MLS.
The transfer also closes the latest chapter in a market-value trajectory that has climbed steadily since his Paris FC days, when he was first listed at €300,000 before progressing through several upward revisions as his performances improved. Lens’s decision to cash in at €5.00m, above his current €4.00m valuation, underlines the regard in which he is held and the level of investment Real Salt Lake were prepared to make.
With his deal at Real Salt Lake now in place until 2029-12-31, Guilavogui’s immediate future is settled, removing any short-term prospect of free agency. The long-term contract gives both player and club security as he adapts to life in the United States and to the demands of MLS. How he translates his European experience to a new environment will go a long way toward shaping the next phase of his career and determining whether his market value and reputation continue on their upward curve.
