Portland Timbers Make Ishmael Yartey Signing Official

Only two days after rumors of his signing broke, the Portland Timbers have confirmed that Ishmael Yartey, 25, has signed with the team on loan from French side FC Sochaux Swiss club FC Sion.

A versatile winger and forward, Yartey is still waiting on the receipt of his international transfer certificate and P-1 visa. Still, Yartey should arrive in time to give the Timbers some depth in the attack while Michael Nanchoff and Diego Valeri remain out injured.

It is currently unclear whether Yartey's contract is held by Sochaux or FC Sion. We are being told, however, that the loan is from FC Sion.

The move has been noted on twitter by Chris Rifer as being the same one that the Timbers were pursuing during the preseason. Although the terms of the loan have not been disclosed, it is most likely a loan with an option to buy, MLS's preferred way of bringing in players and the same manner in which Valeri and Fanendo Adi joined the club.

The Timbers' press release:

TIMBERS ACQUIRE WINGER ISHMAEL YARTEY
Ghanaian to join Timbers on loan from FC Sochaux-Montbéliard

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have acquired Ghanaian winger Ishmael Yartey on loan with a transfer option from French Ligue 1 club FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, it was announced today. He will be added to the Timbers’ roster pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa. Per league and club policy, terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Yartey, 25, has made 27 league appearances while on loan with Swiss Super League side FC Sion since the 2013-14 season. Prior to joining FC Sion on loan, Yartey made 15 appearances for French Ligue 1 side FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, with whom he signed for in 2012.

A native of Swedru, Ghana, Yartey spent four years under contract with Portuguese club Benfica in the Primeira Liga from 2009-12. During the 2011-12 season, he started 31 games, tallying eight goals while on loan to Swiss Super League side Servette FC. He also had loan stints with Portuguese clubs Beira-Mar (2009-10; 2010-11) and Fátima (2010).

As a youth player, Yartey represented Ghana in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea Republic where Ghana finished the tournament in fourth place. While with the national team, he appeared in all seven games and tallied one goal against Colombia during the group stage. A member of the Ghana National Team player pool, Yartey was called up for two 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification games during 2012, but did not make an appearance with the senior team.

Yartey will occupy an international slot on the Timbers roster. 

Ishmael Yartey
Pronunciation: ish-male yar-tay
Position: Winger
Height: 5-7
Weight: 155
Born: Jan. 11, 1990, in Swedru, Ghana
Last Club: FC Sion (Switzerland)
College: n/a
Citizenship: Ghana
Acquired: Acquired on loan from France’s FC Sochaux-Montbéliard on March 26, 2015