Fresh off bringing in Angus Gunn, the San Jose Earthquakes made another move out of nowhere. Looking to shore up depth at a critical position, they found the perfect solution in an intriguing prospect.
Luka Jovanović, who won the A-League golden boot last season, promises to be a seamless fit.
Acting with a sort of determination unseen by a Quakes front office, Arena’s team continues to be proactive. First they brought in a World Cup starter and turned a profit on a good player before securing their striker of the future.
Although it only required 11 goals to win the golden boot last season, winning it in your third full season at the professional level is impressive. An Australian youth international, Jovanović already cut his teeth at the highest level in his country, but still has plenty of room to grow. For the Quakes, he promises to be a fascinating piece both for the present and future.
Credit: Adelaide United-FacebookOne of the key extensions doled out this summer was to Preston Judd, who may form quite the partnership with Jovanović. While Arena seems likely to only start one of them, the ability to rotate them will help the team and Jovanović’s development. As Judd proved over the past few seasons, he can operate quite well as that bench scorer.
Operating almost in complete silence, the Quakes pulled off one of the more intriguing transfers of the MLS summer window.
With Judd secured as a key piece for the coming seasons, they gave themselves and Jovanović the room to grow without needing to heap too much pressure on him.
When comparing him to other forwards on the Quakes, Jovanović is a really interesting blend of Timo Werner and Preston Judd. In a way, his style encompasses some of the best aspects of both.
While Judd plays like a true, throwback target man, Jovanović plays like the striker that the modern game produces. Faster players who can drop back and act as outlets, while still being able to work their way into the box to get shots off. Their ability to flow across that central channel constantly opens up room for themselves and their teammates.
Not saying that they have the same potential, but Julián Alvarez is a good comp in terms of play style. Their quick movement, which Jovanović impresses with, allows them to throw different looks at defenses to keep them on their toes. One of the most intriguing parts of the Australian’s game lies in the combination of rapid foot movement and notable strength.
Of course, as a striker, the only thing that matters is being able to consistently and efficiently put the ball in the back of the net. Across the 2025-26 season, Jovanović, despite only scoring 11 times, showed that ability.
As is to be expected with a player in his mold, Jovanović got plenty of shots off while keeping the majority on target; 40% of his shots ended up on target. In his breakout season last year, he met his expected goals, remaining almost unchallenged in that realm in the A-League. His shot map distribution shows less of a poacher and more of someone who works his way into the box to get chances.
One aspect of Werner’s game that makes him such a unique player is his passing. The Australian showed flashes of being a decent passer for a striker. In fact, he finished last season with more assists than expected, helping create over 20 chances for his teammates.
With Jovanović, Arena now rosters a striker that fits into the modern game.
With enough time, it’s easy to see a future where the Australian dominates the MLS.
Over the past few weeks, a slew of contract extensions were signed. Among them, Judd, the team’s top scorer, committed his future to San Jose.
Almost immediately after signing that extension, the Quakes announced the player who seemed to be his replacement. However, both players fit into the team’s plans. In fact, while they may not share the field at the same time, they may give each other the help they need.
Having carried the offensive load for the team whenever Werner missed time this season, Judd continues to have the best season of his career so far. Filling in the role of a target man perfectly in Arena’s system, he exploded to double digits in goals scored for the first time in his MLS tenure.
As the final stretch of May showed, they desperately needed depth to give Judd breathing room. Without a proper backup, Arena also lacked the option to make changes in the front line. This left the team without any options the minute that they hit adversity.
Jovanović’s addition comes with the hope that the Australian will eventually become the team’s long-term option up top. Despite his performances in the A-League last season, the transition to MLS play will take time given how young he is. With the Quakes looking to keep up their run for the Western Conference title, they need results now.
Judd’s performances thus far allow Jovanović to slowly integrate into MLS. For the rest of this season, expect to see the former LA Galaxy striker keep his spot, with the Australian playing as his understudy. A relationship like this helps all sides, as they prepare for Jovanović to take charge next season.
For the majority of this season, Judd made this team click with his role in Arena’s system.
Now with a real backup, the team possesses some much-needed depth.
After having the best start to the season in their history, the front office decided to pull off a summer window to compete with it. While Jovanović still needs to show that he can play in MLS, the potential is tantalizing.
Until he takes charge, Arena found the perfect understudy for Judd and a real option to mix things up with.
