TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
- NE receive: Mark-Anthony Kaye
- TOR receive: Latif Blessing, international roster slot
The New England Revolution and Toronto FC have swapped veteran MLS midfielders, with the Eastern Conference clubs announcing Thursday that Mark-Anthony Kaye is heading to the Revs in exchange for Latif Blessing and a 2023 international roster slot.
Kaye joins New England
Kaye is New England’s third addition of the ongoing Secondary Transfer Window, having signed midfielder Ian Harkes as a free agent after he featured at Scottish side Dundee United. They also acquired forward Tomás Chancalay on loan from Argentine side Racing Club.
The 28-year-old Canadian international arrives in New England with 15 goals and 23 assists across 138 regular-season appearances. A veteran of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kaye’s played in MLS for LAFC, Colorado Rapids and Toronto. He was an MLS All-Star in 2019 while playing for LAFC and helped them win that year’s Supporters’ Shield.
“Mark-Anthony Kaye is a good addition to our roster and we welcome him to the New England Revolution,” Revolution sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena said in a release. “His experiences at the MLS and international levels offer our team a player of quality who will complement our midfield.
“Additionally, I would like to thank Latif Blessing for his contributions to our club. He is an outstanding person, and we wish him the very best with Toronto FC.”
Blessing joins Toronto
Blessing, 26, has amassed 17 goals and 25 assists in 185 regular-season games (136 starts). The Ghana native, who originally joined the league with Sporting Kansas City in 2017, spent five seasons (2018-22) at LAFC and joined New England via a wintertime trade before this mid-year move. Blessing has won four trophies throughout his MLS career, highlighted by being part of LAFC’s MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield double-winning side in 2022.
Aside from Blessing, Toronto have also added midfielder Franco Ibarra on loan from Atlanta United this summer to rejuvenate their squad.
“We are happy to welcome Latif to our club. His versatility and tireless work rate will be a welcomed addition to our group,” Toronto general manager Jason Hernandez said in a release. “He not only brings a winning mentality, but a selfless approach to the game, and we are looking forward to integrating him into our team.
“We also want to thank Mark-Anthony for his work and commitment to our club during his tenure. He always gave his heart for the team, regardless of the circumstance. We wish him all the best in New England.”
Big picture
With the Leagues Cup and MLS All-Star break arriving after Matchday 26 games this Saturday, New England sit second in the Eastern Conference table while chasing an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs return. Toronto, meanwhile, are 14th (second-to-last) in the East and led by interim head coach Terry Dunfield after parting ways with Bob Bradley in late June.
The Secondary Transfer Window extends until Aug. 2, allowing teams to make additional moves during the summer.
READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant
