Report: Portland Timbers close club-record deal for FW Brian Fernandez

The Portland Timbers have reportedly completed a club-record signing, with The Athletic's Sam Stejskal reporting that the team has closed a deal for long-rumored target Brian Fernandez, who will sign as a Designated Player from Liga MX outfit Necaxa ahead of the close of the Primary Transfer Window on May 7.


According to the full report at The Athletic, the sources couldn't confirm the final transfer fee, which was estimated by Mexican media to be in the $10-12 million range, though did note it eclipsed the current club record fee of $5 million paid for Lucas Melano in 2015.
The deal was first reported in Mexican media in early April, and would bring to a close the Timbers' current search for a big-money forward.
Fernandez, 24, has featured at right wing for the club, where he has 18 goals and five assists in 32 appearances across all competitions since joining in 2018, and is set to finish as the second-highest scorer with 12 goals in the 2019 Clausura, where the regular season wraps up on Sunday.
Prior to his time with Necaxa, Fernandez spent time in Argentina (Racing Club), Chile (Union La Calera) and France (FC Metz). The Argentinian has featured at all positions across the front line, though mostly at striker before his time in Mexico.