Portland Timbers acquire Brazilian winger Antony | MLSSoccer.com

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

The Portland Timbers have again utilized the U22 Initiative in the international transfer market, announcing Wednesday they have acquired Brazilian winger Antony from Portuguese side FC Arouca.

The 21-year-old, not to be confused with the Manchester United star who goes by the same name, is under contract through the 2026 MLS season with an option for 2027.

Antony joins Portland after tallying eight goals and three assists in 63 all-competition appearances for Arouca. He helped his former club finish fifth in the 2022-23 Primeira Liga campaign, behind traditional powerhouses like Sporting and Porto.

“We are delighted to announce the addition of a talented young attacking player in Antony. We feel his attributes will give our team a different component going forward,” Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy said in a statement. “Antony is a player with potential and room for growth, and we are optimistic that he can make a positive impact with our club.”

In past transfer windows, Portland have acquired fullback Juan Mosquera, midfielder David Ayala and forward Santiago Moreno via the league’s U22 Initiative, which is (in part) intended to help clubs acquire rising young talents from abroad in a salary cap-friendly way. This year, they opened a U22 Initiative slot after Ayala’s season-ending knee injury.

Antony is Portland’s third signing of the Secondary Transfer Window after the club also acquired Peruvian international center back Miguel Araujo from Dutch side FC Emmen. They also traded for Honduran international midfielder Bryan Acosta from the Colorado Rapids.

These reinforcements are geared towards the Timbers avoiding a second straight Audi MLS Cup Playoffs miss after hosting the league’s title match in 2021. With 11 regular-season games to go, they’re currently 12th in the Western Conference standings and three points off the postseason pace.