German soccer club Hanover 96 announced Tuesday that Clint Mathis won't be back with the team in January but rather will return to his native United States during the January international transfer window.

That opens the door for his return to Major League Soccer, and most likely Real Salt Lake.

The 28-year-old striker joined Hanover 96 in January, and after an impressive four-goal February, the U.S. national teamer has since fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. He's only played four games this year.

During the Major League Soccer expansion draft last month, Real Salt Lake general manager Steve Pastorino addressed the Mathis rumors quite frankly. He said if Mathis reaches a contract agreement with the MLS — which handles all league contracts — Salt Lake gets first dibs and would love to have a player of Mathis' caliber.

With Hanover's announcement, it appears like a forgone conclusion that Mathis will be sporting a Real Salt Lake jersey next year.