FC Cincinnati have acquired attacking midfielder Evander da Silva Ferreira, known as Evander, in a cash-for-player trade from the Portland Timbers in exchange for $12 million and up to $150,000 in conditional performance-based incentives, the club announced today. Portland also retains a sell on percentage, should the player be traded or transferred. Evander joins FC Cincinnati as a Designated Player in the largest cash-for-player trade in league history and signs a contract through the 2027 MLS season with a club option for 2028.
Evander, 26, was named to a finalist for the 2024 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player award and was named an MLS Best XI player last season. He notched 15 goals and finished tied for the league high with 19 assists, producing 34 goal contributions which was second-most in MLS last season only behind Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Evander and his family to Cincinnati,” said Chris Albright, General Manager. “Evander has proven himself as one of the best players in our league, and his creativity and vision will be a great addition to our attack. He’s an excellent teammate, and we’re excited about how he’ll fit with this group. This signing is a testament to the club’s ambition and a credit to our ownership for their continued investment in this roster.”
2024 was Evander’s second season in Portland where he finished third in voting for the MVP award and was named an MLS All-Star. His 19 assists and 34 goal contributions set new single-season club records for the Timbers. He also became just the third Timbers player in club history to be named to the MLS Best XI.
In two seasons for Portland, Evander totaled 24 goals and 24 assists in 55 MLS Regular Season appearances for the club. He additionally tallied two goals and three assists in Leagues Cup play for the Timbers.
"I'm really happy, and I’m looking forward to the start of the season," said Evander. "When I received the video of the stadium and training facility, and all the fans as well, I just got even more excited to be part of the team, to be part of the club. I'm looking forward to meeting up with the fans. I'm here to help. I'm here to do my best for the club and hopefully win some trophies.”
Evander joined the Timbers ahead of the 2023 season as a Designated Player via transfer from Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland. He spent five seasons in Denmark from 2018-2022, scoring 50 goals and adding 38 assists in 167 appearances across all competitions for the Danish top-flight club.
With Midtjylland, he made 27 combined appearances in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, recording five goals and seven assists. He contributed a competition-leading four assists in the 2022-23 Europa League.
Evander began his professional career with CR Vasco da Gama in Brazil, where he debuted in March 2016 at the age of 18. In 2017, he scored his first career goal in a 2-1 win over Santos. Evander scored a brace in his first appearance in the prestigious Copa Libertadores, becoming the youngest Vasco player in club history to score twice in a Copa Libertadores match on January 31, 2018 against Universidad de Concepción.
The native of Rio de Janeiro has made 12 appearances at the youth international level for his country, 11 of which came for the U17 Brazilian National Team. With the U17s, he scored four times and also made two appearances for the side at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup as the Brazilians reached the quarterfinals.
The transaction for Evander comes after Major League Soccer instituted last month the unlimited cash-for-player trade, where MLS clubs may now use an unlimited amount of out-of-pocket funds (cash) to trade for players, allowing MLS clubs to acquire talent from within the league without having to use General Allocation Money (GAM) or other assets (such as SuperDraft selections or International Roster Spots).
TRANSACTION: On February 17, 2025, FC Cincinnati acquire Evander in a cash-for-player trade from the Portland Timbers in exchange for $12 million and conditional performance-based incentives. Portland also retains a sell on percentage, should the player be traded or transferred. Evander joins FC Cincinnati as a Designated Player in the largest cash-for-player trade in league history and signs a contract through the 2027 season with an option for 2028.
#10 EVANDER
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Birthdate: June 9, 1998 (26)
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
How Acquired: Via cash-for-player trade from the Portland Timbers
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