Just as preseason enters its final days, the New England Revolution may have found the missing piece to their roster puzzle. Of the three trialists who joined Revolution training camp in North Carolina last week, one made enough of an impression to entice the Revolution to make a move to secure his signature.
New England is in the process of attempting to acquire Serbian midfielder Marko Perovic from Swiss side FC Basel, according to vice president of player personnel Michael Burns. Perovic would fill the lone remaining spot on the 20-man senior roster.
“We're in discussions to see if we can make it happen,” Burns told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday.
Although New England would like to sign the 26-year-old left midfielder, the Revs will have to overcome a few hurdles in order to turn Perovic into their newest signing.
Perovic remains under contract with FC Basel until the summer of 2011, but Basel manager Thorsten Fink is willing to let him leave immediately because he doesn't feature in the club's long-term plans, according to Basel’s official Web site. Perovic played for Basel in their 2008-09 UEFA Champions League campaign.
Perovic will have to reach a financial settlement with Basel to terminate his contract before he can negotiate with MLS or any other interested party for a free transfer move. Swiss second-division leaders FC Luzern have also registered an interest in Perovic's services, according to a Sport.ch report.
If New England can find a way to persuade Perovic to continue his career in America, the former Serbian youth international could address the pressing need for additional attacking options. Perovic normally plays on the left side of midfield and shows a willingness to tuck inside when deployed on the wing, but he can also slide into a playmaking role in the center of the park if required.
While Perovic impressed during training sessions and in his two appearances against the Charlotte Eagles (60 minutes in a 2-0 win last Saturday) and Duke University (1-1 draw on Wednesday), fellow trialists Andres Raad and Gareth Williams didn't spark similar interest from the Revs.
All three players left camp after Wednesday's closed-doors friendly with the Blue Devils.
