New England adds 24-year-old Nigeria international from Belgian UEFA Champions League side
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have acquired Nigerian central midfielder Alhassan Yusuf (pronounced ALL-hass-SAHN YOO-suff) from Belgian club Royal Antwerp FC for an undisclosed fee and signed the 24-year-old using the season ending injury replacement mechanism. Yusuf, a TAM-eligible player, will occupy an international roster spot and is signed through the 2027 Major League Soccer season, with a club option for 2028. Yusuf will join the Revolution pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Yusuf, 24, joins the Revolution after three years in the Belgian topflight with Royal Antwerp, where he won three trophies including the 2022-23 Belgian Pro League championship and 2022-23 Belgian Cup, and was named the club’s Player of the Month in August 2022. In the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League, Yusuf played in all six games for Antwerp, registering a goal in his first start against FC Porto and adding an assist against FC Barcelona later in the group stage. He has earned seven additional appearances in UEFA Europa League qualifying and tournament action. Yusuf finishes his Antwerp career with 90 league appearances in the Jupiler Pro League and Jupiler Pro League Champions’ Playoffs.
“We are pleased to add an impactful player with elite European experience to our roster in Alhassan Yusuf, whose arrival makes us even stronger in the central midfield position,” Revolution Sporting Director Curt Onalfo said. “Alhassan is a talented player with title-winning experience in the prime of his career. His competitive drive, excellent vision and passing, and tenacious tackling will all raise the level of our team.”
The Kano, Nigeria native began his club career in Sweden with IFK Göteborg from 2018-21. Göteborg signed Yusuf to a professional contract as a teenager and he went on to amass 77 appearances for the Swedish first-division club in all competitions, registering nine assists and two goals. In his first full season, Yusuf was named the 2019 Allsvenskan Newcomer of the Year after recording 26 league appearances. The following season, he exceeded that mark with 29 games played. With Göteborg, Yusuf won the 2019-20 Svenska Cupen, Sweden’s premier domestic cup competition.
“With his international and Champions League experience, I expect Alhassan Yusuf to quickly establish himself as an elite midfielder in Major League Soccer,” Head Coach Caleb Porter added. “Yusuf is an athletic, box-to-box central midfielder that has all the qualities we look for in our double pivots. He is very complete on both sides of the ball and will bring ball winning defensively and verticality to our attack. Alhassan Yusuf is another addition who is in the prime of his career and has championship pedigree.”
Yusuf has won seven caps from the Nigeria National Team, all coming this year after his debut in January 2024 in a friendly against Guinea. He went on to play three games, starting once, in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, including a substitute appearance in the final as Nigeria finished as runners up. Most recently, Yusuf appeared twice in FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin.
Yusuf is the fourth inbound player to New England during the 2024 secondary transfer window. The Revolution added U22 forward Luca Langoni for a club-record transfer free from Boca Juniors, in addition to acquiring defenders Will Sands and Tim Parker via trades, each coming with $600,000 in MLS allocation money, from Columbus and St. Louis, respectively.
The Revolution will resume the 2024 MLS regular season on Saturday, August 24 when they travel to Canada to visit CF Montreal. The 7:30 p.m. ET contest at Stade Saputo airs on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, 98.5 The Sports Hub (WBZ-FM), and 1260 AM Nossa Radio USA (Portuguese).
TRANSACTION: New England Revolution acquired Nigerian central midfielder Alhassan Yusuf from Belgian club Royal Antwerp FC for an undisclosed fee and signed the 24-year-old using the season ending injury replacement mechanism. Yusuf, a TAM-eligible player, will occupy an international roster spot and is signed through the 2027 Major League Soccer season, with a club option for 2028. Yusuf will join the Revolution pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
YUSUF AT A GLANCE:
- 24-year-old defensive midfielder has totaled nearly 200 senior appearances in Belgium and Sweden.
- Began career with Swedish Allsvenskan club IFK Göteborg from 2018-21, where he was named the 2019 Allsvenskan Newcomer of the Year.
- Winner of the Belgian first-division championship (2022-23), Belgian Cup (2023), and Belgian Super Cup (2023-24) with Royal Antwerp FC.
- Capped seven times in 2024 by the Nigeria National Team, including three appearances at the latest Africa Cup of Nations en route to runner-up finish.
- Honored as a Member of the Order of the Niger, one of the country’s highest honors, after 2023 AFCON.
