A new page has started to be turned by the New England Revolution. Perhaps the headline of the 2025 transfer window so far has been the signing of 26-year-old Costa Rican winger Luis Díaz. Signed through 2025 with options extending to 2027, the addition of Díaz brings fresh renewal to a team seeking much-needed better results.
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The Díaz decision
Another signing, Díaz, came as a free agent from Deportivo Saprissa, which represents a calculated move that combines cost-effectiveness with sporting potential. Bringing him in as a free agent was a smart play for a club trying to get the most bang for their buck.
Adding to the appeal, his connection with head coach Caleb Porter, under whom Díaz won major titles in the MLS, including the 2020 MLS Cup and the 2021 Campeones Cup. Such synergy between player and coach will speed up Díaz's adaptation process and smooth his integration into the tactical setup.
Numbers and context
Between 2019 and 2023, Díaz recorded 6 goals and 14 assists in 86 regular-season MLS appearances. Those numbers aren't exactly eye-popping, but they point to a player who knows his moments. Still, the bigger picture with Díaz is that he's a player who elevates his game when part of a well-oiled system, not necessarily as the main game-changer himself.
During his time in Costa Rica, Díaz contributed 7 goals and 17 assists in 117 appearances with Grecia, Herediano, and Saprissa. He has earned eight international caps for the Costa Rican national team, an experience that will add depth to his already growing résumé.
Díaz's role with the Revolution
Luis Díaz enters a team in desperate need to reinvigorate its attack. To Caleb Porter, the new signing brings a dynamic different from what's in the roster, adding diversity to the team's attack. Having said that, expectations must be put in check: he is not one of those signings that will completely change things in the attack; instead, Díaz is at his best under certain circumstances, such as when creating plays out wide or supporting quick transitions.
Porter's highlighting of Díaz's flexibility suggests that the winger can adapt to different roles in the attack, depending on what the team needs. That's the kind of versatility that is worth its weight in gold in a league like MLS, where constant challenges test players' versatility in different ways.
The Revolution are coming off a tough season, finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference and nine points shy of a playoff spot. Such a disappointing performance underscored the need for significant changes, and the club wasted no time getting to work.
Díaz is the second marquee attacking signing of the window, following Ecuadorian forwardLeo Campana, who joined from Inter Miami. In tandem, both forwards represent something close to a systematic remake for the club's attack and a different Revolution identity for 2025. For Caleb Porter, with titles in college and MLS, step number one in getting the Revolution back to title contender status involves putting a competitive roster on the field.