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Revolution trade for CB Xavier Arreaga in a deadline deal with the Sounders
New England also added a goalkeeper.
After saying that his team “needed pieces,” Caleb Porter and the Revolution added one prior to the close of the MLS primary transfer window on Tuesday, acquiring center-back Xavier Arreaga from the Seattle Sounders.
New England traded a 2024 International Roster Spot and up to $75,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) in exchange for the 29-year-old Arreaga, who had been with Seattle since 2019. The Revolution announcement of the deal noted that the GAM will only be conveyed if “if certain performance metrics are met.”
“We targeted a top-quality central defender,” Porter said after practice on Tuesday afternoon, pointing out that Arreaga helped Seattle win the MLS Cup in 2019 (and played in all eight games of the Sounders’ victorious CONCACAF Champions Cup run in 2022).
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“He brings experience, he brings quality on the ball, [and] the ability to play out of the back,” said Porter “A real calm presence.”
Instituting more of a possession-oriented style than existed under Bruce Arena, Porter will look to Arreaga to help connect defense and midfield.
Arreaga is also an Ecuadorian international, having played in South American World Cup qualifying. This gives him the nearly unique experience among current Revolution players of having already faced Lionel Messi in a game before. New England will face Inter Miami (and possibly Messi) on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
The trade for Arreaga wasn’t New England’s only move on Tuesday. The club also added goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič on a free transfer. Ivačič, a 30-year-old Slovenian, was previously with the Portland Timbers from 2020-2023 before being waived by the club in March.
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