By IVES GALARCEP
The New England Revolution are preparing to lose one U.S. Men’s National Team pool player, but are now set to add a player with plenty of national team appearances, and ties to the New England area.
The Revolution have completed a deal to acquire former former U.S. Men’s National Team striker Charlie Davies, sources confirmed to SBI on Thursday. The deal is expected to be announced as early as Friday.
Davies will join the Revs on a six-month loan deal from Danish club Randers for the rest of the season, with New England holding an option to buy Davies outright when the season ends.
The 27-year-old striker has spent the past season with Randers, after a season with D.C. United in 2011. He scored 11 goals with D.C., but his relationship with head coach Ben Olsen soured, and he ultimately returned to Europe, where he was eventually released by Sochaux.
The former U.S. striker saw his career derailed by a deadly car accident in October of 2009 that nearly claimed his life. After an arduous recovery, Davies made his way back onto the playing field with D.C. United, where he showed some glimpses of his pre-injury form, notching 11 goals.
A New England native who played high school and college soccer in Massachusetts, Davies will look to revive his career on a New England side that is on the verge of losing forward Juan Agudelo, and is rumored to be considering offers for Saer Sene and Jerry Bengtson, with an unidentified Greek club believed to be lining up a bid for Bengtson.
D.C. United had the right of first refusal on adding Davies, but passed on him, clearing the way for him to join a Revolution side still battling for a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
What do you think of this development? Glad to have Davies back in MLS? Think he can make an impact for the Revs? Hoping Agudelo sticks around so we can see a Davies-Agudelo tandem up top?
Share your thoughts below.