The New England Revolution officially announced the signing of 21-year-old Israeli striker Dor Turgeman from Maccabi Tel Aviv on Wednesday, providing a late-season boost up front and a promising young talent for the club’s future.

Negotiations between all sides took a few days, and Turgeman had several suitors, including Rangers of the Scottish Premiership. The Revolution got the deal done by reportedly paying Maccabi Tel Aviv a $6 million transfer fee, plus $1 million in add-ons and a 25% sell-on clause, according to Sky Sports. Turgeman’s salary is not yet publicly available, but the Revolution have signed him through 2028 with a club option for 2029, and he will occupy one of the roster’s U22 Initiative slots.

This is the Revolution’s second marquee acquisition this summer, as Turgeman follows the arrival of U.S. national team goalkeeper Matt Turner, who returned to the club on loan from Olympique Lyonnais as a Designated Player on Aug. 1.

New England (7-12-7, 28 points) has not had a consistent scorer among its corps of strikers this season, one of the reasons the team is 11 points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With eight games remaining — starting with a visit to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night — the Revolution remain alive mathematically, but a postseason berth will require a steep climb, even with Turgeman’s addition.

A new attacking weapon

While Turgeman’s arrival solves the need for more attacking depth, he wasn’t purchased to simply fill a roster spot. He’s here to score goals, which at times have been hard to come by for the Revolution. With 33, the club ranks among the bottom third of MLS teams in scoring this season.

Turgeman has recorded 32 goals and 10 assists in 114 appearances across all competitions for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Whether his form continues in MLS remains to be seen, but he will be equipped with one of the league’s best chance creators in Revolution captain Carles Gil, who also leads the club with nine goals and nine assists.

Head coach Caleb Porter told the Herald at training this week that Leonardo Campana, who the Revolution acquired for $2.5 million from Inter Miami CF during the offseason, remains a starter despite Turgeman’s acquisition. Campana has tallied three goals in his last five appearances, but his ability to finish chances has been uneven throughout the season.

International pedigree

Turgeman drew attention well beyond MLS, with VfL Wolfsburg and Leeds United reportedly tracking his progress alongside Rangers and the Revolution. He burst onto the international scene at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where his quarterfinal goal against Brazil helped propel Israel to a historic semifinal berth.

He is also becoming a fixture with the senior team, which is in the thick of a fierce campaign to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Turgeman has made 10 senior team appearances and scored in a 4-2 qualification loss to Norway in March, though Israel’s World Cup hopes remain intact.

Transfer investments continue

Turgeman’s arrival extends a recent trend of the Revolution investing heavily in foreign attacking talent. While the club doesn’t disclose transfer fees, reports suggest he could be at minimum the team’s third-most expensive striker signing ever.

The Revolution have built a reputation for developing young talent — both domestic and international — and moving them on to bigger European clubs. Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, now starting in the English Premier League with Bournemouth, joined Chelsea in 2023 for a reported $20 million after New England had signed him from FK Čukarički for just $1 million the year before. Other notable sales include 2017 MLS SuperDraft pick Tajon Buchanan to Club Brugge for $7 million in 2021; Polish striker Adam Buksa to RC Lens in 2022 for $10 million (after joining the Revolution for $4.5 million from Poland’s Pogon Szczecin), and homegrown winger Esmir Bajraktarevic to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven earlier this year for $6 million.

Buchanan, who represented Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, went on to play for Inter Milan and is now with Villarreal. Buksa, meanwhile, has played in France, Turkey, and Denmark, and is reportedly close to joining Udinese in Italy’s Serie A.

Israel connection

Turgeman is the second Israeli player in Revolution history, joining current fullback and national team teammate Ilay Feingold, who arrived this winter as a U-22 Initiative signing.

Feingold came from Maccabi Haifa — a rival of Turgeman’s former club, Maccabi Tel Aviv. The two sides are Israel’s most decorated, with current reigning champions Tel Aviv holding 26 league titles to Haifa’s 15.

Because Israel is part of UEFA, its clubs are eligible to compete annually in continental European club tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Turgeman has had some exposure to both competitions. He scored in a group match against Real Sociedad in last year’s Europa League, appearing in seven of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s eight group stage games. He also appeared in both Champions League qualifiers against Pafos FC this July.

Originally Published: August 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM EDT