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Revolution reportedly trading three players to Bruce Arena’s San Jose Earthquakes
The former New England coach is set to acquire a trio of familiar faces.
The Revolution appear to be jumping into a busy offseason by making a notable trade between Bruce Arena’s former team and his new one.
Arena, the 73-year-old ex-New England head coach and sporting director, was recently named to the same roles with the San Jose Earthquakes. He resigned from the Revolution in 2023 after an MLS investigation into allegations that he made “insensitive and inappropriate remarks,” but was eventually reinstated by MLS commissioner Don Garber.
As he looks to remake the Earthquakes — which finished 2024 as the worst team in MLS — the newly-appointed San Jose coach looks set to add some familiar faces from his old Revolution roster.
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According to MLS insider Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport, the Revolution are trading midfielders Mark-Anthony Kaye and Ian Harkes as well as center back Dave Romney to the Earthquakes in exchange for “around” $500,000 in general allocation money (GAM) and an international roster spot.
The deal helps New England, which finished 14th out of 15 in the Eastern Conference, clear more cap space. For Arena, the acquisitions could add some midfield options and more defensive solidity to a team that desperately needs it.
Romney, 31, made 27 appearances for the Revolution in 2024. He was named the team’s Defender of the Year for the second season in a row. His reported departure comes only weeks after his contract option was picked up by the club, seeming to signal that he would remain a part of New England head coach Caleb Porter’s plans. His total compensation figure was listed at $721,667 in the annual announcement from the MLS Players Association.
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Kaye, 30, carries a cap number of $750,000. Unlike Romney, Kaye never really found a consistent role in New England after arriving via midseason trade in 2023. He made 15 starts in 2024, but struggled with turnovers and defensive positioning in Porter’s system.
Harkes, 29, carried a $286,583 total compensation number in the past season. He made 17 starts (27 total appearances) for New England in the past season, featuring in a variety of roles as his team dealt with injuries.
All three players were initially acquired by the Revolution while Arena was in charge. Now, New England sporting director Curt Onalfo (who once worked under Arena) is trying to help make the roster one that is a better fit for Porter and his style of play.
The process began when the team recently announced its end-of-year moves, which included the departures of former starters Xavier Arreaga and Dylan Borrero.
“We created a lot of space,” Onalfo said at a press conference following the roster moves. “So we have room to do things. It’s going to be a very active window for us.”
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