The Portland Timbers were not the only team pursuing Sebastian Blanco.
Liga MX side Club America and Turkish side Fenerbahce also made attempts to acquire the 28-year-old winger from Argentine club San Lorenzo last month, but the Timbers never let up in their pursuit.
And after a month-long negotiation process, Blanco made the decision to leave his home country and sign with the Timbers as a designated player.
“It’s really motivating to a player to see that kind of interest from a team,” said Blanco through an interpreter. “In the end, it was not a hard decision to make. Just seeing that kind of interest makes you assured that you’ve made the right decision.”
After a disappointing 2016 season, the Timbers made the decision to loan out designated player Lucas Melano in the offseason and replace him with a high-caliber and proven right winger.
Blanco definitely fit the bill.
The 28-year-old is a seasoned, two-footed player that is capable of starting on either wing or at the No. 10 position. He is also well-traveled. He began his career in 2006 with Argentine side Lanus, spent four years with Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv and had a brief stint with West Bromwich Albion. He returned to Argentina to join San Lorenzo in 2015, where he recorded three goals and six assists in 11 appearances in the 2016-17 Argentine Primera Division season. He has 285 career appearances in both league and cup competitions and has scored 42 goals over that time.
“He fits the way we want to play and that’s very important,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “He’s very technical. He’ll help us keep possession… He can run with the ball and get crosses in. He’ll fill the box when there’s a cross from the weak side. He finds good spots. And he’ll defend.”
Blanco hopes he can live up to those expectations.
He arrived in Portland last week and spent three days in the Rose City before joining the Timbers in Arizona for the tail end of their preseason camp in Tucson. He returned to Portland with the club this week and is expected to see his first minutes in a Timbers uniform in the club’s preseason tournament, which begins Thursday.
While Blanco is still adjusting to his new team, having a familiar face in Portland has helped aid his transition. Timbers playmaker Diego Valeri played with Blanco at Argentine club Lanus for six years and the two teammates helped Lanus win its first-ever league title in 2007.
Blanco said he had the opportunity to speak with Valeri over the phone before making the decision to join the Timbers.
“I’ve known him for a long time and he was very important in the decision for me to come here,” said Blanco through an interpreter.
Even though Blanco has only been training with the Timbers for a few days, he already has high expectations for his new club.
He said he sees a ton of potential in Portland’s attacking group and hopes to be a “dynamic” addition to the offense.
“I think I found a really good group of human beings here and everybody has been so welcoming,” said Blanco through an interpreter. “I think we have the potential to be a really strong team and compete for very important things in this league.”
— Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com
503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg
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