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Matt Turner rejoins Revolution on loan from French club Lyon
Turner returns to New England, where he won 2021 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner is officially coming back to the Revolution, with the club announcing on Friday that the 31-year-old is returning on loan from French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais.
The loan runs through June 30, 2026, and also includes an option to buy.
The move represents a full-circle moment for a one-time MLS star.
The 2022 World Cup starter rose to prominence with New England during his first tenure. Initially signing as an un-drafted free agent, Turner eventually became the team’s starter. Simultaneous to the Revolution’s rise under Bruce Arena, Turner became one of the best goalkeepers in MLS.
This culminated with winning 2021 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year as New England totaled what was then a league record for points in a regular season (clinching the Supporters’ Shield).
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In 2022, Turner opted for a transfer to English powerhouse Arsenal. It started a pattern for him in Europe in which — between Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and later Crystal Palace — he was unable to consistently win a starting spot.
That appeared to be changing with the move to Lyon earlier in 2025, but after the French club was unexpectedly hit with provisional relegation by the nation’s soccer watchdog in June for failing to address its massive debt level, another move quickly materialized. Though Lyon successfully appealed the decision in July, the emphasis remained on shedding salaries (including Turner’s despite his recent arrival).
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Notably, Turner rejoins New England as a Designated Player (an MLS designation indicating that his salary exceeds the regular “maximum salary budget charge” in accordance with the league’s cap). It means that the Revolution now have the league maximum three Designated Players on the team’s current roster. The club announcement also added that Turner’s contract can be converted to another designation (involving “Targeted Allocation Money”) in 2026.
New England had previously chosen a different roster model (the “U22” path, allotting two Designated Players with four U22 Players). With Turner’s addition and the shifting model, the Revolution still have space for one more U22 Initiative signing.
The current state of the club that Turner walks back into is very different from the one that he left. Arena is gone (having resigned abruptly in 2023 following an MLS investigation into “insensitive and inappropriate remarks”), as are most of his former teammates with a few notable exceptions.
Head coach Caleb Porter and sporting director Curt Onalfo are currently under pressure from club supporters, with multiple groups voicing their displeasure amid a nine-game winless run (one of the supporters’ groups is calling for both to be immediately dismissed). New England, currently mired in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, is 10 games adrift of the playoff line with 10 games to go.
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The Revolution, as non-participants in the Leagues Cup, are currently in a short break, and return to action on Aug. 9 at Gillette Stadium against D.C. United.
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