FOXBOROUGH, MASS – He may not be in the Most Valuable Player conversation but there haven’t been many players performing as consistently well in MLS this term as Tajon Buchanan. The absence of talisman Carles Gil is heavily trodden ground but it is hard to talk about the Revs without him coming to mind.
Bruce Arena’s men have continued to thrive at the top of the table even with the Spaniard injured and Buchanan is one of the main reasons for this, as seen last time out against FC Cincinnati. So much so that the rumours of a move to Europe became something more solid. Speculation? Check. Solid interest check? Offer? Check. Move to Europe for Tajon? Check!
Tajon Buchanan; a man in form and a man on the move!
Potential teams to play for
The Revolution Are STILL 🔛🔝of the Eastern Conference standings as we sit with a comfortable 15 POINTS between us & 2nd place in the Week 21 standings!
Let’s Go!! #NERevs | #MLS pic.twitter.com/hWihZDy0A9
— Revolution Nation (@RevsNationBOS) August 22, 2021
New England is leading the way when it comes to the race for the Supporters’ Shield, but could Tajon Buchanan’s role in that shift? The Canadian has been the subject of constant transfer rumours as the influx of MLS players making the move to Europe keeps reaching new heights. There was talk of a move to Champions League holders where he would of course link up with USMNT star Christian Pulisic. That seemed unlikely though and it proved to not be true.
Then it was Bundesliga outfit Freiburg thrown into the mix, courtesy of eagle-eyed fans and the power of social media. The story started with Buchanan withdrawing from the MLS All-Star squad and various photos led to people naming Freiburg as his next destination.
Chelsea and Freiburg were only rumours contrived by fans. Club Brugge however was a club always in question. The Belgian team kept cropping up in the reports from both the US and in Europe, notably the renowned MLS writer Tom Bogert.
Brugge and the Jupiler Pro League, in general, are no strangers to USMNT players as can be seen with Mark McKenzie for example, the center-back having joined Genk but not before he helped the Union in their Shield win last year. Buchanan may be Canadian but he is an MLS product and he will actually line up alongside a fellow export in the form of Owen Otasowie. The New Yorker has struggled to gain regular minutes with Wolves in the Premier League and so a move to Brugge seems smart for all parties involved.
Just packed a new player! 🎮 #WelcomeBuchanan
🔗 | https://t.co/4NxdJe8RSa pic.twitter.com/sj68dJTqzl
— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) August 24, 2021
Tajon Buchanan will play for Club Brugge
Club Brugge announced on their social channels that Buchanan will wear the number seventeen shirt, but his time with the Revs is far from done. He will join up with his new team in January but not before he sees out this exciting season under the legend that is Bruce Arena. New England holds a fifteen-point advantage over Orlando who is second in the east whilst Seattle, their closest competitors for the Shield, trail them by seven. Things can change very quickly as we have seen with the Sounders already this season but it will have to be quite the team if they’re to make up the gap.
Focusing on the future destination of Tajon Buchanan with Club Brugge is one of the big teams in Belgium. Under Philippe Clement, Brugge finished in the top spot in the league last season, retaining the title and making it number seventeen.
Only rivals Anderlecht have been more successful in this field! From the late 70s to the early 90s, they were even a force on the continent and will soon learn their fate for the upcoming Champions League campaign. Other American players who will be in the said competition include Timothy Weah (Lille), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Dortmund), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Brenden Aaronson (Salzburg) and Theoson Siebatcheu (Young Boys) to name just a few.
Final thoughts on Tajon Buchanan and New England Revolution’s goals
20' #NeRevs scores! What a header from Canadian player Tajon Buchanan! DeJuan Jones was credited with the assist.#TORvNE | 0-1 | #MLSpic.twitter.com/aWxI2vZHbS
— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) August 15, 2021
Tajon Buchanan is a special, special player and this is something that has been echoed by so many people within the Revs organisation. From Arena to goalkeeper Matt Turner, his fellow youngsters to the main-man Carles Gil, all have only good things to say.
Given the transfer, it will be fascinating to see if Buchanan remains as integral to the plans of this team as he has been to date. There are some big games in the coming weeks against teams such as NYCFC, the Shield holders Philly and the defending MLS Cup champions too. Given Gil’s injury, one would imagine that in the mind of both Bruce Arena and Tajon Buchanan, the twenty-two-year-old from Brampton, Ontario will be playing and starring as usual.
New England is determined to deliver on this form and have something to show for it. Turner, Gil, Gustavo Bou and Buchanan are the headline-makers for this team, but there is talent throughout the squad.
The Revs are yet to capture a major, domestic honour and so Tajon Buchanan could write himself in the history books for this club. This would be a perfect send-off before his move to Europe. Buchanan will continue to elevate, he is one of many, many MLS players deserving of a move and there is no doubt in my mind that he can thrive.
