Report: Gershon Koffie Returning To New England

Yesterday there were reports that Gershon Koffie might be returning to MLS, prompting speculation that the midfielder might be returning to the New England Revolution following a loan spell last season from Hammarby.

Now it seems far more certain after additional information from the club’s sporting director:

Gershon Koffie was supposed to be just a placeholder for the injured Xavier Kouassi in the 2016 season after the Revs acquired him via trade from the Vancouver Whitecaps. But Koffie was far more than that in his two season in New England, providing a solid partnership with Scott Caldwell in the middle of the field.

Koffie made 45 appearances for the Revs in two years, including 40 starts while racking up nearly 2500 minutes of playing time and four assists in the 2016 campaign. Even with the addition of Wilfried Zahibo this offseason, the Revs depth at holding midfield was fairly thin mostly because of the loss of Koffie back to Sweden. Re-acquiring Gershon for 2018 gives the Revs another starting option at holding midfield and at worst provides a tremendous option off the bench for late in games.

It is not clear if this is a permanent transfer or another loan, regardless, having Koffie back on the roster makes the Revs a better team. We’ll see how Brad Friedel manages his trio of holding mids in Koffie, Caldwell, and Zahibo as the season plays out.

New England currently has two senior roster spots and two international roster spots available. Koffie occupied both slots on the 2017 roster. The Revolution are off this weekend, their next match is at home against New York City FC on March 24th at 130pm.