"He wanted to stay," Waibel said, "and we wanted to keep him."
On Monday morning, RSL announced a new multi-year contract extension for Plata, who turns 25 on Wednesday. The new deal makes Plata one of RSL's three Designated Players, where he joins fellow attacking players Yura Movsisyan and Albert Rusnák. Per club and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Waibel confirmed Monday that the extension is a brand new contract with a new structure. That structure extended the time on the pre-existing deal Plata signed in Jan. 2015 when RSL finalized the outright purchase of Plata's rights and made him a Designated Players for the first time two years ago.