Burns Stays Mum on Possible Additions
- Updated: January 15, 2016
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
More than eight months may have passed since the Revolution have made a bona fide addition to the roster, but general manager Michael Burns hopes to end that dry spell soon.
While the club selected two unsigned players in North Carolina defender Jordan McCrary and Wake Forest midfielder Michael Gamble during Thursday’s SuperDraft, Burns recently told the club’s official website that the front office remains focused on trying to lure international talent.
“While we’re trying to get a couple players, it might be a little bit unrealistic to say we’re going to have them in by Jan. 22,” Burns told revolutionsoccer.net. “But certainly we’re working on some things to get some international guys in the primary window before the season starts.”
The Revolution’s last international signing was Dutch forward Geoffrey Castillion, who joined the club in Aug. 2014, but was subsequently traded to Colorado after the season concluded. The club currently has six open international spots, with center back Jose Goncalves as the only player on the roster with the international designation.
In Apr. 2015, the Revolution sent an international spot to Vancouver for allocation money. The Whitecaps will retain that spot through the 2016 season.
At the moment, the Revolution currently have 19 players on the roster. Aside from the recent re-signings of midfielders Daigo Kobayashi and Steve Neumann, the last addition to the roster was made in May 2015, when the club signed Youth Academy prospect Zachary Herivaux to a Homegrown Player deal.
With the return of midfielder Jermaine Jones looking less likely with each passing day, and thin backline that only has five defenders under contract, there’s little question that the club could use some reinforcements before First Kick arrives.
Earlier this month, Revolution president Brian Bilello disclosed via Twitter that the club was looking to add “1-3 top of the roster players” between the winter and summer. The Revolution remain the only team in MLS that hasn’t added a new face to the roster during the offseason.
Nevertheless, Burns is cautiously optimistic that with preseason camp set to start next Friday, the club will be able to make some moves as the winter progresses. In fact, the winter transfer window, which runs from Feb. 18 through May 12, could provide the opportunity that the club needs in order to make its first international signing in 16 months.
“Sometimes you think you’re real close, and sometimes you think you’re far away and all of a sudden it takes a turn,” he said. “But let’s be honest, fans want to hear about the guys that you’ve signed, not about the possibilities and the maybes. We’re working on it, and we’ll get there.”
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