TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Loan
The Portland Timbers have added another South American youngster to their roster for the 2018 season, announcing on Friday the signing of midfielder Cristhian Paredes on loan from Club America for the 2018 season, with a purchase option at the end of the loan. The signing was made with Targeted Allocation Money, and Paredes will occupy an international roster slot.
The 19-year-old is a central midfielder who joined Liga MX powerhouse Club América last year, making two appearances in the Copa MX for the Mexico City side. Prior to that, he made his debut at Club Sol de América, playing regularly in the Paraguayan first division and the Copa Sudamericana.
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Cristhian Paredes to our squad for the upcoming MLS season,” said Gavin Wilkinson, general manager and president of soccer for the Timbers in a team statement. “Heading into the offseason, our goal was to identify young, talented players that can help the club achieve both its immediate and future aspirations. We believe Cristhian is a player that has the ideal skillset to benefit the organization for many years and we look forward to his contributions.”
Paredes is also a Paraguayan international, having made his debut for his country at senior level in a friendly against France in June 2017. He has previously played at youth level for Paraguay, including at the 2015 U-17 World Cup.
“We are pleased to welcome another quality young player in Cristhian Paredes to our group,” said Giovanni Savarese, head coach of the Timbers. “At just 19 years of age, Cristhian has already displayed his technical and physical qualities across multiple competitions in South America and Central America and has very good tactical understanding for his age. We look forward to integrating Cristhian with the team during preseason, and continuing his progression and development as a player over the course of the year.”
