When the New England Revolution start their 2021 season, their roster will be missing a Foxboro mainstay from the past decade.
After 10 years with the Revs, Diego Fagundez is moving on, signing a one-year contract with Austin FC, which will play its first MLS season in 2021.
“I’m excited to start this new chapter in my career, alongside a club creating a new chapter for an amazing city like Austin,” Fagundez said in a team press release. “I am ready and motivated to represent Austin FC next season, and I look forward to giving my best for the club.”
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It didn't take long for the Revs to express their appreciation for Fagundez, who initially signed with New England when he was just 15 years old.
The writing was on the wall for the 25-year-old, who didn't play in any of New England's final six matches of the 2020 season and had seen his lowest amount of playing time since his second MLS season in 2012.
Bruce Arena admitted as much last month when he said this about Fagundez: "We made him what I thought was a good contract offer about a month or two ago that he rejected, so he's going to test the waters. There's a chance he could always be back, but I believe that he'll look to go elsewhere."
Fagundez -- who wraps his Revs career tied with Shalrie Joseph for the most regular-season appearances in club history (261) -- tallied 53 goals and 45 assists in New England and made league history as the youngest player to reach both 100 appearances and 25 goals.
