TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
The LA Galaxy are making a play to acquire longtime Portland Timbers defender Jorge Villafana, according to a Wednesday report from ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.
According to Carlisle, one proposed outcome of the trade would involve the clubs swapping first-round picks in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, which would mean the Timbers getting the No. 8 overall selection and the Galaxy moving down to Portland's No. 17 spot. Carlisle also relayed that the deal would depend on Villafana signing a new contract with the Galaxy.
It would mark a homecoming for Villafana, who is a California native and started his professional career with now-defunct Chivas USA. It would also allow the Timbers some roster flexibility with Villafana's salary off the books and free up minutes at the left back position for the reportedly incoming signing of Claudio Bravo.
Should the move be completed, it would also mark the end of a run with the Timbers that has seen Villafana become a stalwart in the Rose City. The 31-year-old has done two separate stints with the club, first from 2014-2015 when he made 52 league appearances before departing for a three-season stint in Liga MX with Santos Laguna.
Villafana returned to the Timbers in 2018, making 50 more MLS appearances, including 17 starts and 1,550 minutes in a 2020 campaign that saw him score one goal and dish out five assists. He was a part of the team that captured Portland's first MLS Cup in 2015.
