Major League Soccer is in negotiations to bring coveted Ecuadorian attacker Enner Valencia to the league, sources have confirmed to The Athletic. At this time, the Montreal Impact are among the favourites to land him, but are thought to be one of “a handful” of sides looking to sign Valencia. It’s believed that the two sides have yet to agree to terms. Valencia would be able to join the league at the beginning of the MLS summer transfer window.
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If Montreal wins out, Valencia’s signing would mark a signal of intention for a team that’s only recently found its groove. Having won their last two games heading into a two-match homestand this weekend, the Impact are currently three points out of sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Early in the season, a playoff spot seemed out of the question. Now, however, it appears Montreal is determined to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2016.
The athletic attacker won’t turn 29 until the end of the MLS regular season. After making his professional debut with Emelec and a brief stay at Pachuca, he was part of Ecuador’s 23-man roster for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. After scoring three goals in the group stage (punctuated by a brace in a 2-1 win over Honduras), Valencia made a high-profile transfer to West Ham United for £12 million (after inflation, $17.2 million USD). While he turned heads in England with some incredible goals, he scored just 11 times in 75 Premier League games with the Hammers and a loan stint with Everton.
Valencia has 21 international goals in 41 caps with Ecuador, good for sixth in the nation’s history. Interestingly, nine of these have been scored on United States soil, including his first-ever international goal in 2013 and two in the 2016 Copa América Centenario. His pursuit continues a rapid run of Ecuadorian targets by MLS. Last week, The Athletic reported on Minnesota United’s negotiations with Romario Ibarra. Jefferson Montero has been linked to D.C. United in recent days as a companion signing to Wayne Rooney, while the league saw its bid for young Brayan Angulo rejected.
Last summer, Valencia was sold to Mexican side U.A.N.L. Tigres for $6.4 million USD. Back on his home side of the Atlantic, he took to his new surroundings with gusto, scoring 16 goals in 36 matches with the club. This includes two goals in three CONCACAF Champions League ties, though he didn’t factor into the second-leg of the quarterfinal against Toronto FC. After making Liga MX’s Best XI for the 2017 Apertura season, he saw his role diminish for the Clasura.
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Mexican outlet Azteca Deportes first reported that the club was looking to move on from Valencia as they tried to find a new attacking talent during the summer. In another report, the team’s sporting director admitted the team was trying to assess all assets and rebuild the roster.
“We did not fulfill any of our goals, and that makes us reflect on what points are wrong, to be able to change, and we will start working,” said Miguel Angel Garza. “More than investments, we have to see where we are failing, at what point we failed this season and see what the team needs. Our job starting today is to see how we are going to restructure the team.”
While MLS and China were cited as the two leagues of interest due to the expensive transfers customary in both leagues, it’s become clear in recent weeks that the player prefers to stay closer to Ecuador and in a higher-quality league. In many ways, Montreal would make plenty of sense as a potential destination.
The timing coincides with Impact owner Joey Saputo’s crusade to rectify his team’s on-field play. The side made a notable run to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals, falling in heartbreaking fashion to Canadian rival Toronto FC. As an aged core continued to see its play diminish and Matteo Mancosu failed to become a full-time replacement for Didier Drogba, Montreal slumped to ninth place in the East last season. Club captain Laurent Ciman was sent to Los Angeles FC in a shock trade, leaving the team with much to sort out in coach Rémi Garde’s first couple months with the team.
Everything came to a head in late May when Saputo gave an interview on local radio outlet 98.5 Sports. In it, he claimed that no player was untouchable as the Impact geared up for a summer makeover. By name, he included star Ignacio Piatti in the list of players available.
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“I may be speaking a little in the heat of the moment, but, seriously speaking, if someone comes to get Piatti and offers me X amount for him, I save on the salary cap and I make money,” Saputo stated. “Are we better off having three players at two million apiece instead of one player at six million? I don’t know. Anyways, personally, I’m not happy with our current situation and I’m not an owner who will say ‘we’ll finish this year and then make decisions.’ We have time to do that now.”
While it seems unlikely that the Argentine is moved this year, recent results have brought a glimmer of home to Montreal once again. Valencia’s availability has perfectly coincided with the Impact’s needs, as a rotating attacking fleet has failed to fully compliment Piatti’s brilliance this year. Beyond Piatti’s 8 goals, only Chilean attacker Jeisson Vargas (4) has more than a pair of goals this season. It’s led to very inconsistent runs of play in Garde’s first season.
Valencia plays best as a striker or right winger, meaning that he’d be likely to supplant either Anthony Jackson-Hamel or Alejandro Silva for the roles if Montreal indeed pulls through. Silva in particular has struggled to adjust to life in MLS, with just one assist to show for 14 MLS matches. Valencia would bring sorely-needed pace and ability on the ball to keep defences from double-teaming Piatti, while allowing Vargas to continue to hone his skills with less pressure.
With the summer transfer window opening on July 10, Valencia could potentially make his debut in the July 14th home fixture against the San Jose Earthquakes if terms are finalized in advance. In 2015, the midseason capture of Drogba propelled the team to the conference semi-finals for the first time behind his 11 goals in the season’s final 11 games. At this point, Montreal seems to be banking on Valencia to catalyze a similar run to the postseason.
(Top photo credit: Manuel Guadarrama/Getty Images)
