FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When the 2026 summer transfer window opened in July, Revolution general manager and chief soccer officer Chris Tierney had a simple goal for the team: finish the window with a stronger team than the one that entered it.
With the window now closed, the Revolution have strengthened the squad in several areas, making five additions to the roster in less than two months. New England added firepower to the attack with Jack Harrison and Dániel Gazdag, reinforced the backline with defenders Tylon Smith and Joshua Wynder, and Homegrown midfielder Judah Siqueira extended the club’s Pro Pathway.
Though most of the additions are still settling in, the early returns are evident. Harrison has already logged six assists for the Revs in his first five games, earning his first five in just four appearances, and becoming the quickest player in Revolution history to reach that mark.
Gazdag arrives from Columbus Crew after spending several seasons with Philadelphia Union. The proven attacker has recorded 66 goals and 37 assists across seven MLS seasons, giving the Revolution another experienced and versatile option in attack.
“We think he'll be a really good complement to the other pieces that we have in place already. You look at his goal scoring record as an attacking midfielder in our league, he has goals in him. He has flexibility in terms of where you can play him,” Tierney said of Gazdag. “It’s just another good option to raise the overall level of the team, provide competition in our attacking spots. You've heard me talk about it a lot, but the cultural fit is a huge part of it as well. Daniel checked all the boxes for us.”
For Mitrović, he sees Smith, Wynder and Siqueira as high-potential players who can develop while contributing to the first team. Their arrivals reflect the club’s willingness to trust young players with meaningful opportunities.
“If we purely talk about young players, we just have to really show them that we believe in them and that we trust them. I think as a young player, that’s something that is most important to them – they feel there’s belief and trust behind them,” Mitrović explained. “If those young players don’t get opportunities, then they will never develop. We are not doing this with the purpose of ‘we’re a club that wants to develop young players,’ we want to play the best players that we can and if those players are young players; it is what it is. That’s the circumstance that we have.”
While the Revolution added depth at several positions during the summer, Mitrović welcomed the increased competition for places within the squad. Beyond the tactical qualities and talent each newcomer provides, however, both Mitrović and Tierney have emphasized one factor above all others: how well each player fits the club’s culture.
While culture can’t be measured as easily as the statistics each player brings, it is seen and felt in everything the team does. The environment has been central to New England’s rebuild under Mitrović and for him, and the entirety of the coaching staff, a successful team begins with a strong foundation on and off the field.
“It’s something that we really want as a club, to go in a direction where culture is our strong foundation. Before we analyze a player as a player, that we know that he fits culturally. The values that we share here day after day, that player will share the same values, same enthusiasm, same energy that everyone else has. We feel that’s something that will make us strong in the long-term,” Mitrović explained. “We feel that if the culture fit isn’t right, then it doesn’t matter how good of a player you are.”
Mitrović’s approach has already produced results. After missing the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, the Revs now sit fourth in the Eastern Conference. The summer additions have made the roster stronger while already influencing the locker room in ways that can’t be quantified. Tierney credits much of that progress to the man at the helm.
“The number one trait that we were looking for in our leader going forward was someone who was going to set a new culture for us. Marko has certainly done that. He did that at the Under-20 level with the U.S. National Team. It's a very important part of what Marko is all about. A good culture at the club, a good environment, is key to having a high-performing team,” said Tierney. “You always see better results in a good environment, a good working environment. So, credit really goes to Marko and his staff. They've been transformational.”
The Revolution continue a four-game away stretch in Los Angeles this weekend, taking on the West’s LA Galaxy on Saturday night. With two consecutive wins on the road, New England look to continue building on their improved road form and climbing the Eastern Conference standings.
