FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution completed a deadline deal to bring back a familiar face on Monday afternoon, re-acquiring midfielder Gershon Koffie on loan from Swedish club Hammarby IF before the transfer window closed until July.

Koffie has made more than 150 appearances in MLS – including 22 with the Revolution last season – and that familiarity with both the league and the Revs made him an attractive midseason addition.

“We know him,” said head coach Jay Heaps. “We thought he had a good stint here last year and we want to add him back into the group; he’s a physical presence for us in the midfield.”

The hard-nosed 25-year-old brings added grit to a midfield group featuring Scott Caldwell, Diego Fagundez, Daigo Kobayashi, Xavier Kouassi, Lee Nguyen and Kelyn Rowe, and his ability to link play between defense and attack contributed to a career-best four assists with the Revs in 2016.

“He’s good technically and can find a lot of the long passes to get forward,” said Andrew Farrell, who noted Koffie’s competitive spirit both in games and on the training ground. “It’s a great addition to get him back and I think he’ll add to our midfield.”

“He’s a very talented, very athletic and physical guy on the field,” added Caldwell. “He’s also able to make that pass forward that we need. He’s a talented player. We’re excited to have him.”

Koffie won’t officially be added to the roster until he receives his P-1 Visa – “We’re just waiting on paperwork,” said Heaps – but when he does arrive, he’ll immediately be thrust into a battle for playing time in New England’s crowded midfield.

“We have a lot of guys who can play there,” said Farrell, “but I think he’ll add another piece to the puzzle to get to where we want to be.”