Credit: Tom Bogert-Twitter/X

Arriving in the Bay with the Quakes still riding high, Luka Jovanović promised to be a fascinating piece of the larger puzzle heading into the final half of 2026. The Australian, already an established player in his homeland, felt like a bridge to the next era.

Unfortunately, for both club and player, the team’s slide after the MLS restart marked his introduction to life in MLS.

One of the Quakes’ most expensive transfers, Jovanović’s signing surprised most fans. Not only had the team brought in a player from a smaller league, but he also possessed a unique combination of traits.

At under 20, Jovanović had already shown he could be a real scorer in the A-League. While the level of play in the Australian league remains below that of the MLS, the Quakes felt like betting on him. From the moment his plane touched down in the Bay, almost everything that could go wrong went wrong.

Credit: A-League

Instead of continuing their early season form, Arena’s side completely fell apart. Sensing a need to stabilize things, the manager leaned into experienced players who knew his system and MLS. Even as Judd got benched for his form, Jovanović barely got minutes.

Not all is lost for the young Australian, as this half-season was never going to be a proper test for Jovanović.

However, the lack of consistent playing time makes it hard for him to adjust to life in a new league.

Coming from a relatively smaller league, fans didn’t really know what to expect from the A-League’s recent Golden Boot winner. Despite the uncertainty of his fit in MLS, his transfer signaled a front office already planning for the future.

A very interesting prospect, the Australian has proved deadly leading the line in only a few seasons as a professional. Eleven goals to win the Golden Boot feels low, but it speaks more to the A-League’s lack of quality than to Jovanović as a player. Still impressive at the youth level for the Australian national team, nothing in his game screamed as concerning.

Among the transfers the front office made in the summer window, Jovanović stood out as something different. Clearly with the future in mind, they felt comfortable easing him into the side. Especially with Judd’s form heading into the World Cup break, the pressure on the youngster eased somewhat. 

Announced by the team in mid-July, the team stood in a very different state than the one he would eventually debut with. A slide dating back to May saw the Quakes lose out on the top spot in the West, which seemed like a bad omen. However, no one saw the total collapse after the MLS restart coming.

Coupled with the team’s position in the table, May’s continued slide made it near impossible for Jovanović to break through. Had the Quakes been either totally secure in first or languishing at the bottom, an easier pathway to first-team minutes would have appeared.

Making his debut with a team that had a real chance of hosting a playoff game, needing every point, closed an easy path forward.  Different worlds exist where the team has that leeway to properly integrate him, but we don’t live in those worlds. Given how the season went after his arrival, a loan to a USL side or a return to his original club may have given him a shot at more consistent playing time.

Jovanović’s signing felt somewhat refreshing, as this clearly represented an attempt to use the global market to get younger.

After supplying Arena with plenty of veterans, the promise of the Australian, while yet unfulfilled, signaled something new.

Finding a path this season, and even a little bit of next season, for Jovanović feels a little rough. There’s an obvious spot for him, but Arena has yet to show any real faith in the former A-League Golden Boot winner.

After a poor run of form and questions over his effort plagued his July and August, Preston Judd’s spot as the sole striker felt up for grabs. Without a natural like-for-like swap on the roster, one of the early-season concerns, this was Jovanović’s only real chance.

Arena instead opted for a formation shift aimed at building from the back and using a more mobile striker. Jovanović got a shot in because he fit that mold, but Arena ultimately preferred the experience Bouda brought. Unfortunately, even with Judd out of the starting lineup and Bouda not producing as the number nine, Jovanović didn’t even make appearances off the bench.

As the season nears its end, the Australian has almost no chance of featuring in any role in the playoffs. Heading into next season, a future and more prominent role feels somewhat up in the air.

Credit: San Jose Earthquakes

With Judd’s revival, and Arena’s preference for him, Jovanović likely starts next season as that backup striker. Perhaps that remains the best way to integrate the Australian into life in MLS. Bouda seems likely to return to his role as that multitasking winger, which leaves Jovanović as the only real striker to play in place of Judd.

Fortunately for all sides, Jovanović turns 22 towards the end of MLS’ new sprint season to start 2027. This split season also gives him more time to grow into MLS, but the choice between him and Judd will come soon. With how much the club invested in the young striker, they can’t just freeze him out.

By the end of the 2027 MLS sprint season, enough evidence should exist to show what Jovanović’s long-term future in the Bay is. No managerial change seems likely, so Arena will have to figure out how to balance him and Judd.

As exciting as Jovanović’s transfer appeared, his path to real first-team minutes should have always seemed unlikely.

With Judd starting to find early-season form and the race for the playoffs heating up, the Australian will have little chance of seeing any minutes this season. This means next year’s sprint season may determine his future in San Jose.

 

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