The New England Revolution doesn’t seem to be interested in parting ways with Diego Fagundez, who is drawing interest from at least one team in South America.
Fagundez confirmed Tuesday morning after New England’s second training session of preseason that the Revolution turned down an offer from Uruguayan side Nacional.
Uruguayan journalist Sebas Giovanelli first reported the potential transfer on Tuesday morning, though Fagundez has been linked with an exit from the Revolution for years.
In addition to reported interest from at least two teams in Italy’s Serie A in 2015, Fagundez’s father, Washington, who is also his agent, sent out a cryptic message on Twitter before New England’s 2018 regular season finale indicating that it could be his last game in a Revolution jersey.
“If everybody in the party was happy, of course I’m going to go,” Fagundez said. “How can I say no? “[Nacional] plays in [Copa] Libertadores, they play Classicos. It’s different.
“But the Revs already made a decision. I had nothing to do with it because I’m under contract, so it was an easy way for me to go with it.”
Fagundez, who will turn 24 before the official start of the 2019 season, has recorded 50 goals and 42 assists in 217 appearances. A homegrown player with triple citizenship (United States, Uruguay, and Italy), Fagundez is widely regarded as the face of the Revolution since signing a homegrown contract with the team when he was 15.