The difficult part to swallow, is that MLS teams like the Revolution often lose their top young talents. Fans would prefer to see them set up for long first-team careers and selling off those who don’t make the grade.
New England’s former academy starlet Esmir Bajrakterovic is officially departing the Revolution, moving to PSV Eindhoven as the January transfer window opens. The reported fee of six million dollars also marks the first major overseas sale of an academy product for the team. Tajon Buchanan, a player they acquired through the MLS Draft, moved to Brugge for a similar fee a few years ago. Bajrakterovic came up through the academy alongside a promising group of players. The 2024 season was the first in which he played regular first-team minutes. Often to the excitement of the Revolution supporters, as he was at times the lone spark in the league’s least potent offense last season.
MLS fans always support their hometown departed abroad, understanding the players’ desires to succeed at the highest levels. PSV is a top club in the Dutch Eredivisie, known for its development of top-tier talents playing across the European continent. Many of whom represented the Netherlands at very high levels internationally. The departure is somewhat bittersweet, fans surely would not want the club to deny such a compelling opportunity to a young player. However, the disappointing run in 2024 left many Revolution fans hoping the team would return in 2025 built around its emerging talents.
Bajrakterovic, 19, came up through the academy and succeeded with the Revolution II in MLS Next, alongside Noel Buck and Jack Panayotou, who have also earned significant first-team action. Buck in particular fans are increasingly worried about holding onto, soon returning from a short loan at Southampton. Like Bajrakterovic, Buck is also generating interest for clubs to swoop in for a permanent deal. The inability of MLS clubs to hold onto academy players at times frustrates fans but is essential to the growth of the league and the individual clubs within it.
All clubs depend on the sale of academy players. If the reported six million dollar fee is true, the Revolution will have mostly recouped the fee spent on Luca Langoni last August. The difficult part to swallow, is that MLS teams like the Revolution often lose their top young talents. Fans would prefer to see them set up for long first-team careers and selling off those who don’t make the grade. This is a common practice and a necessity for developing leagues. It probably should not be the goal for MLS, which is looking to attract the biggest stars and become a top league worldwide.
The current reality is MLS teams like the Revolution have to side-step their way up that ladder, winning in the transfer margins and replacing players efficiently. Langoni and Bajrakterovic both play on the right wing. The 22-year-old Argentinian is only a few years older than the 19-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international. They are however at very different points in their careers. Langoni came up with Boca Juniors, one of South America’s best clubs, and will surely find more playing time in MLS than in Argentina. Esmir is still in search of that opportunity with a club on that level, and now has it with PSV.
As it stands, the Revolution could still have a formidable, and young, front three. Tomas Chancaly, 26, went down early last season with an injury, but fans will hope to see the Argentine back and on the opposite wing as his countryman, Langoni. Recent acquisition Leonardo Campana, 24, could also line up in the middle, as the Revolution lacked consistency up top for a few seasons now. Esmir Bajrakterovic would have been a great player to keep in the attacking fold. He will instead look to earn minutes for PSV and help his new club stay atop the Dutch table in the second half of the season.
Every player has a price, and with the right offer, even the best clubs have little choice but to acquiesce. The Revolution and other MLS clubs do need to begin holding on to young talent. Whether it’s convincing players the best opportunity to play and develop is here, or signing players to lucrative contracts and building a consistent winning team. There will be a keen eye on the development of academy graduates like Peyton Miller, 17, the club’s youngest first-teamer ever, Malcolm Fry, 19, and Tiago, 19. Fans would love to see their favorite youngsters fully integrated, signed long-term, and if they must go, go at a time when they are fully developed for maximum value.
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