- Home
- Canadian Premier League
- Salter Sold: Halifax, Ottawa Agree To Landmark CPL Transfer
Salter Sold: Halifax, Ottawa Agree To Landmark CPL Transfer
By Halifax Wanderers striker Samuel Salter has been transferred to Atletico Ottawa for an undisclosed fee, marking a landmark moment in intra-league movement for the CPL.
The 22-year-old Montreal native, who had previously been expected to suit up with Halifax this year, now joins Atletico Ottawa on a two-year contract with a club option for 2025.
The Wanderers secured both an undisclosed fee and a future sell-on percentage as terms for the transfer.
Salter is coming off the back of a fruitful season out east that saw him bag 12 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions, with the striker having led the Wanderers’ scoring charts in an otherwise tough campaign for the club.
His two seasons with Halifax saw him tally up 15 goals and one assist through 51 appearances, with the centre-forward – who scored against Ottawa twice last year – evidently catching the eye of Carlos Gonzalez.
“We’re delighted to have Samuel join our team,” said the Atletico Ottawa head coach. “He’s a versatile forward who has a fantastic work ethic and goal-scoring instinct, added to his extensive experience in the Canadian Premier League with a lot of potential to still grow. We’re looking forward to working with him and seeing him develop even further.”
Salter had developed near Ottawa across the provincial border, progressing with the CF Montreal Academy and feature in the PLSQ for CS St-Hubert before spending a short stint overseas in France with Dijon at the U-19 level.
Atletico Ottawa CEO Fernando Lopez points to the intra-league transfer as an exciting day for the CPL as a whole, with Salter now the first of many future athletes to make intra-league moves as fully-paid transfers.
“It’s great to see Canadian clubs engaging in transfers as the value of players who have proven their abilities in this league increases,” added Lopez. “We’re thrilled to welcome Samuel to the club and look forward to seeing him in action.”
See Also: 2023 CPL Roster Tracker
Salter becomes the fourth brand new addition to the Atletico Ottawa roster this year, with the team having added Karl Ouimette and Noah Verhoven before taking in Jean-Aniel Assi on loan from CF Montreal.
While there have been several intra-league roster moves in the league, none before Salter came with a transfer fee attached, even when players were under contract.
It’s no secret that Ottawa needed more numbers up front, with Malcolm Shaw having been the only direct striker to stay following last season. Meanwhile, the Wanderers are going with a fresh attacking line of the Wanderers had added Massimo Ferrin, Theo Collomb, and Tiago Coimbra.
“Once it became clear we had strength and depth in Sam’s preferred position, we found a suitable fit for his career, and we’ve ensured the club recouped our investment in him, now and in the future,” stated Wanderers Sporting Director Matt Fegan.
Atletico Ottawa now has sixteen players on the books for this year, leaving head coach Carlos Gonzalez with seven roster spots left to fill.