Report: Lucas Melano One Step Closer to Being a Portland Timber

The Portland Timbers' rumored acquisition of Argentine striker Lucas Melano seems to be drawing nearer with more rumors out of Argentina that Melano has signed with the Timbers despite interest from other clubs around the world.

#MLS: En #Lanús estiman cerrar hoy la venta de LUCAS MELANO (22) al #TimbersFC. Lo de Villarreal no pasó de un sondeo pic.twitter.com/WK4zZhhqZX

— Emmanuel Quispe (@emaquix) July 14, 2015

Emmanuel Quispe, a journalist with strong ties to both the South American leagues and MLS, has been at the forefront of breaking several other moves to MLS, including the Timbers' own acquisition of Gaston Fernadez last season.

Melano, who was first linked to the Timbers last week, has reportedly been pursued by a number of other clubs, both in Mexico and Europe, with the most prestigious being Spanish side Villareal. It appears, however, that Melano will be coming to the US, likely with the aid of MLS's new "Targeted Allocation Funds".

Adding further credence to the rumor of Melano's impending arrival is the fact that team owner Merritt Paulson followed the young striker on twitter, although when this was pointed out he was quick to deny that the follow had any meaning.

With the MLS summer transfer window now open, the Timbers could, in theory, make the signing any moment now. If it does come through, however, the Timbers will still need to wait on Melano's visa and international transfer certificate before he can join the team.