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Record signing casts Brian Fernández as Timbers' latest big move

The December press conference set expectations. Portland Timbers GM/president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson, technical director Ned Grabavoy and head coach Giovanni Savarese, all behind microphones at Providence Park, talking about the transition from one season into the other, all had their input on how the team needed to move forward.

That’s when the idea of signing a marquee attacker as the team’s next Designated Player took hold.

“Relative to the forward position, that may be an area that we need to get better in,” Wilkinson said, then. The next month, after the acquisitions of Claude Dielna, Aljaz Ivacic and Jorge Moreira were done or coming to fruition, he spoke of the attacking focus.