Colombian midfielder Santiago Moreno has requested a transfer from the Portland Timbers, multiple sources confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday.
Moreno, 23, feels unappreciated by the Timbers organization as contract extension talks have broken down, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. He is signed with the Timbers through 2026 and is on a base salary of $340,000, per the list of player salaries released by the MLS Players’ Association in May.
Moreno also takes issue with how he is utilized in coach Giovanni Savarese’s system, sources said, and believes a change in scenery would benefit his career.
“Santi is a player our club continues to have a strong belief in since our initial investment in transferring the player to Portland as a 21-year-old leaving his home country for the first time,” Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy said in a statement provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “The club has made multiple attempts this season to work towards contract improvements with no outcome. While the player is under contract through the 2026 season, we remain open to finding a solution that satisfies all parties involved. Our staff continues to support Santi in his development both on and off the field, with the goal of returning him back to his best level.”
Moreno told Grabavoy in a meeting that he was anxious to leave and wanted to leave Portland, according to text messages obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The Timbers in April reportedly rejected a trade offer for Moreno from another MLS team, valued at $2 million in General Allocation Money (GAM).
However, a team source said Wednesday that Portland has not received any formal offers for Moreno from either within MLS or abroad during his time with the club, and that the club has been “collaborative in discussing various ideas” for moving Moreno but would be unwilling to consider opportunities that are far off from their valuation of him.
Leading the team in assists with six, Moreno hasn’t scored a goal for Portland this season in 21 appearances (20 starts). His scoring slump comes after a breakout finish to the 2022 season, during which he had seven goals and eight assists in 34 appearances (28 starts). Before the start of the 2023 season, Moreno was lauded by people in the Timbers organization — including Savarese — as someone who could make the jump to Europe in the near future.
After a 4-1 loss in Minnesota on Saturday, Savarese publicly questioned the effort of some of his players. The Timbers (5-9-7, 22 points) sit in 12th place out of 14 teams in the Western Conference, three points off the playoff line.
“If we don’t have everyone pushing and putting the effort the same way, it’s going to be always difficult,” Savarese said Saturday. “Particular players don’t join the other guys that are giving everything on the field.”
Moreno was among those taken out of the starting lineup for the Timbers’ match Tuesday night at the Colorado Rapids, which after multiple weather delays before and during the match was eventually postponed after 45 minutes of action.
It is unclear if Moreno’s benching places him among the “particular players” Savarese discussed as not giving enough effort, but a source described Moreno as “furious” as he heads back to Colombia for a scheduled break before Portland’s next match July 15.
The MLS summer transfer window opened Wednesday. It closes Aug. 2.
— Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke
