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Portland Timbers forward Jose Adolfo Valencia could be on his way to to Argentina's Club Olimpo according to Olimpo commentator Victor Hugo Zelaya. (h/t to @BobKellett of 5mtko for finding the tweet.)
Los dirigentes aurinegros son optimistas x Maxi Nuñez. El colombiano Valencia estarìa domingo o lunes en la Arg. para negociar su prèstamo.
— Víctor Hugo Zelaya (@zelayavh) July 12, 2013
According to some rough translating, the tweet indicates that Valencia will be in Argentina after this weekend to negotiate the terms of a loan.
News of the potential loan deal also broke on Argentine site Terra.com.ar, where this article mentions a list of players acquired by Olimpo for the up coming season before mentioning Trencito as the team's next target. The article does mention that another player brought in on loan, Martin Perez Guedes, does not have an option to buy.
Once the news broke on Twitter in Portland, more details of the potential loan deal came out via Zelaya:
.@zelayavh tells me via DM that the @trencito loan is for 1 year. The Vice President of Olimpo told him this personally.
— Timbers Rumors (@TimbersRumors) July 12, 2013
Recently promoted, Club Olimpo is in the Argentine second division and should provide a home where Trencito could step in and get significant minutes, particularly with the 2011-2012 season's top goal scorer on the team, Martin Rolle, having moved to first division side Arsenal de Sarandi. Going into this weekend's game against the LA Galaxy, Trencito has accumulated eighty nine minutes of first team action with the Timbers.
Update: According to more tweets from @TimbersRumors, the Tencito loan would be a six month loan with an option for Olimpo to extend for another six months, but no option to buy. This is a little hearsay-y, but seems in line with the rest of the info available.
This rumor comes in the wake of Michael Nanchoff's recent loan to Swedish second division side Jönköpings Södra, a move described by Caleb Porter as one necessary to the player's development.
While the minutes that he would accrue while on loan would certainly be of great value to Trencito, this also opens up another available roster spot for the Timbers. With the team in contention for the US Open Cup and Supporters Shield, as well as the Cascadia Cup and MLS Cup, the Timbers could use these open roster spots to bring in some more seasoned reinforcements than Nanchoff and Valencia.
With the salary cap a mystery and the first slot in the MLS allocation order in hand, the Timbers could be poised to make a make in the next month that could give them a big boost as they finish out the season.