The Portland Timbers kicked off their offseason by shuffling the left-back position. According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, Timbers sent Marco Farfan to conference rivals LAFC while acquiring Claudio Bravo from Argentinian club Banfield.
Farfan had actually asked to be traded, reportedly telling the club that he wants a new challenge. In response, LAFC jumped on the opportunity and acquired him for $300K in allocation money.
Timbers, on the other hand, parted with $1 million in order to get Bravo. They will own 80 percent of the player’s rights per the terms of the deal with Banfield.
Marco Farfan made his debut for Portland in the 2017 MLS season as an eighteen-year-old. He played six games in his rookie campaign, becoming the youngest player to start a game for the club in Timbers’ history in the process.
Although he was expected to be the club’s left-back of the future at the time, Farfan never really made enough progress to be the undisputed starter. He leaves Portland with only 34 appearances in four seasons.
Going to LAFC gives Farfan a chance to have a fresh start. The LA club has been struggling to find a long-term solution in the left-back position, and the 22-year-old player certainly has enough upside to make a run for the starting spot.
Claudio Bravo, on the other hand, comes with a reputation of being among the best young backs in Argentina. He already has 48 games with Banfield while also being featured six times for Argentina’s U23 team.
