Are the Portland Timbers Pursuing Jhamir Ordain? Update: Maybe?

Update 2:

Update:

The Portland Timbers have already brought in a pair of Costa Rican players over this offseason and now the team could be primed to add yet another if recent reports are to be believed. Santos de Guápiles defender Jhamir Ordain has been linked to the Timbers in a series of reports in the Costa Rican media over the course of the last day and there is plenty to give credence to the possibility of Ordain playing in Major League Soccer for the 2017 season.

Of course, Ordain’s move to the Timbers seems like anything but a lock.

While many reports have listed the Timbers as Ordain’s destination in MLS, others have broadened the player’s possibilities, stating that Ordain would be joining MLS, but that there are three teams that he could potentially join, with the Timbers appearing to be the front-runners. That there are still multiple clubs pursuing Ordain was confirmed to everardoherrera.com yesterday by his agent Kurt Morsink. Morsink, it should be noted, also represents incoming Timbers David Guzman and Roy Miller, as well as a number of other Costa Rican players who have joined the league over this offseason.

Santos manager Jonathan Murillo also seemed to confirm Ordain’s departure from his side in this article from Diario Extra, saying that he did not yet know which club the player would join, but that there are three interested.

So, who is Jhamir Ordain and why might the Timbers want him?

Ordain, 23, seems to be a rising prospect in Costa Rica, having just received his first two caps with the national team in the 2017 Copa Centroamericana, playing alongside Guzman in the Tico’s 3-0 win over Belize and 0-0 draw against Nicaragua this month. Capable of playing right or center back, Ordain’s primary position is out wide, having made the right back spot his own with Santos after starting the 2016-17 season on the bench.

All of that sounds like a solid pick up for the Timbers, but if Ordain were to join the side, the Timbers would suddenly find themselves with a significant logjam at right back. Alvas Powell and Chance Myers are both close to starting caliber right backs and Zarek Valentin provides versatile, reliable depth for the side.

Barring the departure of one of those three players — all of whom have been spotted in the Timbers’ preseason training videos — it seems unlikely that the Timbers would use a precious international roster spot on Ordain.

There is another alternative: the Timbers could be looking at Ordain as further center back depth. Currently the team is only four deep at the position and Ordain could certainly compete for depth in the side as both Gbenga Arokoyo and Rennico Clarke have yet to prove themselves in MLS.

So, do you think the Timbers will sign Ordain? Should they sign Ordain? Let us know in the comments.