Could the Timbers Loan Mikael Silvestre Out in the Offseason?

The Portland Timbers' 2013 season isn't even over yet and the first big offseason loan story has come through the never-ending rumor mill of English media. Mikael Silvestre is said to be in the plans of the English Premier League's West Ham United, according to SportsDirect News.

Of course if every rumored loan or signing in the English press came true, star players would end up signing with several clubs during each transfer window. So this should be taken with a grain of salt, but at least the particulars of this report make some sense.

Silvestre is back from his knee injury and only a calf issue has kept him from training with the first team this week. SportsDirect suggests Silvestre wants to keep fit during the offseason and that the loan would just be for the month of January. Neither of those ideas are particularly objectionable, given the Timbers will return to pre-season training around the third week of January and Silvestre probably could use competitive games to fully return to match fitness.

On the negative side, the report makes room to criticize both the Hammers and Silvestre in saying that signing the 35-year-old would, "fit into West Ham's policy of signing experienced players beyond their best."

So is this loan rumor completely out of the blue or is it to be believed?