TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Trade
Following multiple reports, the San Jose Earthquakes' blockbuster trade with the Portland Timbers that brings forward Jeremy Ebobisse to San Jose has been made official by both clubs.
Steven Goff of The Washington Post was the first to report news of the trade on Wednesday night before Paul Tenorio of The Athletic later reported the terms of the deal. The Timbers confirmed Tenorio's report that the deal is for $1.167 million in General Allocation Money in the club's official announcement on the trade.
“We couldn’t be more excited about bringing Jeremy to San Jose,” San Jose technical director Chris Leitch said in a club statement. “Jeremy is an exciting young player with significant MLS experience and a proven track record for scoring goals. We think he’ll be a great leader for our team and a great ambassador for our community.
“He’s a player that we have been eyeing for a while now,” said Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda. “When this opportunity came up, with support from our ownership group, we’re adding a young player who we believe will be important for our project.”
“I think the Earthquakes and the project that they’ve been building, especially since Matias [Almeyda] has been at the helm, is something that’s been really exciting to watch from afar,” Ebobisse said. “As an individual, I look at them and I see a unified group that’s all going in one direction, through thick and thin, always backing each other. I want to add my personality to the group, learn from everyone that’s already there, and try to add what I bring to the table on the field. It’s an exciting project, in which there’s a lot of faith in me to score a lot of goals. Ultimately I want to help the team in every way possible.”
The change in scenery should give Ebobisse the opportunity to be deployed as a center forward, something that wasn't always the case in Portland, with sources relaying to MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert the shift in role motivated the move. Ebobisse was frequently deployed on the wing during his time with the Timbers.
“The decision to trade a player that’s had Jeremy Ebobisse’s impact can never be taken lightly," Gavin Wilkinson, Portland's general manager and president of soccer, said in a release. "We know what he has meant to our team, club, and community. Our partnership with Jeremy has always been true to what’s best for all parties. This decision allows Jeremy to continue pursuing his career objectives while putting this club in a stronger position to manage its roster commitments going forward through acquiring a considerable amount of allocation money. I want to thank Jeremy for everything he contributed to make the Timbers a better club on and off the field during his four-and-a-half years in Portland.”
The trade ends a productive run for Ebobisse in Portland that has seen the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft out of Duke University score 26 goals and dish out eight assists in 88 appearances, 54 of which were starts. It also addresses an area of need for San Jose, who are expected to sign Ebobisse to a new contract, according to Tenorio's report.
Ebobisse had made 13 appearances (11 starts) for the Timbers so far in 2021, scoring four goals in 947 minutes.
