[MLS TRANSACTIONS] The Portland Timbers hope they have found the playmaker to lead their rebuilt attack with the signing of 26-year-old Argentine Diego Valeri on loan from Lanus. FC Dallas has moved to replace Kevin Hartman in goal with the signing of Peruvian Raul Fernandez from French club Nice.

“I have been responsible for bringing approximately 70 players to the league and without doubt Diego Valeri is one of the best players I have placed in MLS,” said Alejandro Taraciuk, president of Fútbol One.

Valeri, who has three caps with Argentina, spent nine years during two stints at Argentina broken up by a year at FC Porto in Spain and another at Almeria in Spain.

“We’re looking for in him something very specific, a guy that can come in and be a playmaking midfielder, a guy that a lot of our attack will go through,” Porter told MLSsoccer.com. “And I see him as that guy. He’s a very creative player, but also very intelligent, cerebral, smart, understands how to dictate the flow of the game but also a final third player.

Fernandez, 27, played only two league games in part of two seasons with Nice, which reached an agreement with him to terminate his contract through the 2014-15 season. He has earned 21 caps for Peru, where he spent eight seasons as a pro before moving to France.

Thursday:
COLUMBUS signed defender Chad Barson (Univ. of Akron) to homegrown contract.
FC DALLAS acquired Peruvian goalie Raul Fernandez from Nice (France) on a free transfer and signed defender London Woodberry (Univ. of Maryland) to homegrown contract.
HOUSTON transferred Canadian defender Andre Hainault to Ross County (Scotland).
PORTLAND acquired Argentine midfielder Diego Valeri on loan from Lanus (Argentina).

Wednesday:
D.C. UNITED acquired Brazilian forward Rafael on loan from Bahia (Brazil).
PORTLAND signed midfielder Steven Evans (Univ. of Portland) to homegrown contract.

Monday:
D.C. UNITED loaned Honduran midfielder Andy Najar to Anderlecht (Belgium) for January.

MLS Transactions Dec. 31-Jan. 4
MLS Transactions Dec. 17-23
MLS Transactions Dec. 10-16