The Portland Timbers in the final stages of completing a deal for Jonathan Rodriguez

Photo Credit Asociacion Uruguaya de Futbol AUF

Rumors of Jonathan Rodriguez known as Cabecita or little head possibly coming to the Rose City, are becoming more persistent and in anytime the deal can be consummated.

The Portland Timbers made it no secret of looking for a number 9 player and Rodriguez, formerly with Mexico’s giant Club America, made a stellar career South of the Border with Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul.

The agreement is in its final stages per reports of the Athletic writer Tom Bogert, as the Uruguayan forward will play in Rose City as the former Aguila or Crema from Mexico Liga MX, as a deal appears to have been reached.

Rodriguez, 30, has scored nine goals for Club America this season and more than 100 since joining the Mexican league in 2016. With the Uruguayan National team, he has 31 appearances with three goals scored for the Charruas.

Despite Portland’s offer to Club Monterrey FC for forward German Berterame for an amount of $15 million, in the end, club president Tato Noriega stated that Berterame decided to stay with Los Rayados and is looking forward to his call to El Tri or Mexican National Team.

For the man native of Florida, Uruguay, his career started with one of the most known teams in Uruguay Peñarol from 2013-2015 with 38 games played and scoring 16 goals, following his pass to Benfica in the Portuguese League with 1 game played and moving to Benfica B with 6 appearances and scoring 1 goal. In 2015-2016 he returned to Benfica and moving to the Spanish League with Deportivo La Coruña from 2015-2016 playing 13 games and no goals scored.

Coming back to Mexico with Santos Laguna from 2016-2018, he played in 87 games and scored 29 goals. From 2019-2021, he played for Cruz Azul from 2019-2021 in 95 games played he scored a total of 44 goals. In 2022, Al Nassr from Saudi Arabia and in eight games he only scored one goal, returning to Mexico with Club America since 2022, where he played a total of 60 games with 21 goals.

His honors include with Benfica winning the League Cup in 2014-15, Santos Laguna 2018 and Club America Apertura tournament in 2023. His individual accomplishments are Liga MX Golden Ball 2021-21 tournament, Liga MX Golden Boot, Guardians Tournament 2020, Liga MX Best XI 2020 and 2021.

Liga MX Player of the Month: September 2020, February 2020, March 2021, and April 2021, Liga MX Best Forward 2020-21 and Liga MX All-Star 2021.

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