New England Revolution

A quick guide to the Revolution’s very busy offseason ahead of the 2025 MLS opener

Before the Revolution's 2025 season kicks off in Nashville, here's an overview of the many changes made to New England's roster.

New England Revolution offseason changes
Revolution players celebrate a goal in a 2-0 preseason win over Hartford Athletic. Via New England Revolution/MLS

After producing one of the worst seasons in club history in 2024, the Revolution enter 2025 with an almost entirely new look to the team’s roster.

In response to the dismal 9-4-21 record, sporting director Curt Onalfo and head coach Caleb Porter made some stark decisions. When the dust finally settled, 18 players from last year’s team were gone. In their place, 13 new faces (and one player returning to the club from loan) arrived.

What happens in the upcoming season — which kicks off for New England Saturday in Nashville at 8:30 pm — promises to be (if nothing else) something different. Porter will face early challenges as he tries to oversee a team that is still gelling, yet the second-year coach can no longer claim to be leading a roster that he inherited.

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For fans whose heads are swirling at the unfamiliar names up and down the team sheet, here’s a quick rundown of the departures and arrivals.

Departures:

  • Dylan Borrero (option declined)
  • Xavier Arreaga (option declined)
  • Joshua Bolma (option declined)
  • Tommy McNamara (option declined)
  • Nacho Gil (option declined)
  • Jonathan Mensah (option declined)
  • Nick Lima (out of contract)
  • Tim Parker (out of contract)
  • Damian Rivera (out of contract)
  • Ryan Spaulding (out of contract)
  • Bobby Wood (out of contract)
  • Esmir Bajraktarevic (transfer to PSV)
  • Mark-Anthony Kaye (traded to San Jose)
  • Earl Edwards Jr. (traded to San Jose)
  • Dave Romney (traded to San Jose)
  • Ian Harkes (traded to San Jose)
  • Giacomo Vrioni (traded to Montreal)
  • Emmanuel Boateng (traded to San Diego)

Arrivals:

Alex Bono: A former MLS Cup winner in net for Toronto, the 30-year-old goalkeeper will likely make a great backup for Aljaž Ivačič (the Revolution’s expected starter).

Tanner Beason: A part of the San Jose-New England offseason pipeline — a series of transactions that included multiple trades and free agent signings going in both directions — the 27-year-old will add depth to the backline.

Noel Buck: The Arlington native returned to New England after his loan stint to England’s Southampton. Still only 19, he will have to fight for minutes in the team’s crowded central midfield depth chart.

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Leonardo Campana: Acquired from Inter Miami in a December trade in exchange for an MLS record sum General Allocation Money (GAM), the Ecuadorian striker is expected to fair better in front of goal than his predecessor (Giacomo Vrioni). His scoring productivity will play a huge part in the team’s overall success.

Brayan Ceballos: Signed from Brazilian club Fortaleza EC, Ceballos will likely start at center back alongside Fofana. The 23-year-old Colombian brings physicality and speed to a unit looking to play a more aggressive defensive line in 2025.

Luis Diaz: Having helped Columbus win an MLS Cup in 2020 during Porter’s tenure with the Crew, Diaz was acquired as a bargain signing and could provide depth at winger.

Ilay Feingold: Arriving from Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Haifa, Feingold is seen as a more defensively-oriented right back than current starter Brandon Bye. The 20-year-old’s presence adds a level of depth to the outside back position that New England has conspicuously lacked in recent years.

Mamadou Fofana: The 27-year-old Malian center back could become a crucial factor in New England’s revamped backline. Revolution coaches hope he can make contributions both as a defender and a passer — an underrated aspect of a central defender’s duties in Porter’s attack-minded system.

New England Revolution

Ignatius Ganago: Ganago is on a six-month loan from French Ligue 1 side FC Nantes that includes an option to buy. He has the potential to be a difference-making signing, possessing talent and versatility to be a goal-scorer operating (for the time being) as a roving left-winger.

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Wyatt Omsberg: The Maine native returns to New England after several seasons in Chicago. Omsberg, 29, will likely be a depth piece in central defense.

Allan Oyirwoth: One of the more intriguing players added in the offseason, the Ugandan central midfielder was signed out of relative obscurity as an 18-year-old. Porter has already praised his ability and cited his vast potential, though he may feature more for Revolution II in the near-term.

Donovan Parisian: Another backup goalkeeper, Parisian was New England’s first-round pick (18th overall) in 2025 out of the University of San Diego.

Maximiliano Urruti: A striker, Urruti has a history of scoring goals against New England. Now, the veteran goal-scorer will try to add a few on the Revolution’s behalf. He ranks fifth in all-time goals among active MLS players, and provides a level of quality depth up front that New England simply did not have in 2024.

Jackson Yueill: Though only 27, the central midfielder already has 210 all-time MLS appearances, all of which came with the San Jose Earthquakes. Porter has said he hopes Yueill can provide a deeper-lying playmaker role in New England’s midfield, allowing team captain Carles Gil to stay farther upfield.

Hayden Bird

Sports Staff

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.

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