The Portland Timbers have announced that they reacquired U.S. international defender Jorge Villafana from Liga MX side Santos Laguna.
MLSSoccer.com was the first to report the move.
Portland sent $175,000 of targeted and general allocation money to the LA Galaxy in exchange for the top spot in the allocation order to make the move. Villafana was subject to the allocation order due to the fact that the Timbers received a transfer fee greater than $500,000 when the defender was sent to Santos after the 2015 season, a campaign that saw the Timbers win the MLS Cup.
Sources confirmed Villafana has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract that is expected to pay him an annual salary greater than the TAM threshold of $504,375.
Villafana, 28, began his MLS career in 2007 with Chivas USA after winning a reality show to earn a spot in the now-defunct club's youth team.
He spent seven seasons with Chivas, scoring seven goals while making 99 league and cup appearances before joining the Timbers in a trade after the 2013 season. He went on to make a total of 64 league and cup appearances, scoring two goals for Portland.
In a bid to test himself outside of MLS, Villafana joined Santos for a fee of just under $1 million and made 76 league and cup appearances while helping the team claim the 2018 Clausura title.
Villafana has become a regular starter at left-back for the U.S. national team over the last year, making 19 appearances and helping to win the 2017 Gold Cup.
