MLS Moves: FC Cincinnati acquires Adi and Alashi for 2019 season
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Jul 30, 2018
The USL club acquired the MLS rights for the 2019 season to Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi and San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Fatai Alashe. FC Cincinnati confirmed that Alashe will also play on loan for the remainder of the 2018 USL season. Adi is also expected to complete the rest of the year and trained in Cincinnati on Monday, though no formal announcement has been made about where he'll play, in Cincinnati or somewhere in MLS other than Portland.
Fanendo Adi. FC Cincinnati obtained his MLS rights from Portland for $450,000 in GAM in 2019 and $400,000 in TAM and future considerations of up to $100,000. Portland will also retain a percentage of any international transfer value on Adi until the closing of the 2020 summer transfer window.
Fatai Alashe. FC Cincinnati has obtained Alashe’s MLS rights from San Jose for $60,000 in TAM and $75,000 in GAM, plus other future considerations.
Adi, who will be a Designated Player, was a big part of the Timbers' 2015 MLS Cup championship run. His 54 goals are the second-most in Portland history and eight in MLS over the last five years. But his playing time and production have dropped under new Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese and he recently requested a trade. Offseason signing Samuel Armenteros (seven goals) has emerged as Portland's go-to striker.
"In five seasons with the Timbers, Fanendo Adi made massive contributions to this club, and words cannot fully express how appreciative we are for everything he gave to the Timbers in his time with us,” said Gavin Wilkinson, general manager and president of soccer for the Timbers. “Adi’s place in Timbers history is firmly entrenched, as one of the top goal-scorers across all eras of the club and for his considerable efforts in helping lead Portland to its first MLS Cup in 2015.”
Alashe is another player who has seen his playing time
drop since a coaching change. He started 67 games in his first three seasons with the Quakes but only three in 2018 under first-year coach Mikael Stahre.
He played only four
minutes in his last four games -- four minutes at the end of the first half at Montreal. He was subbed to start the second half with a groin injury though showed his displeasure with Stahre about
coming out on the field and then being subbed off.
For San Jose to dump a discontented Alashi was to be expected. For it not to give him a bigger role helps to explain why it is doing so badly. He is an excellent defensive midfielder.