Fanendo Adi will not be leaving Portland this summer, according to Timbers GM and President of Soccer, Gavin Wilkinson.
Wilkinson told MLSsoccer.com in a phone interview on Monday evening that the Timbers “met with Adi and his agent [on Monday] and stated that he would not be leaving the club this summer.”
Goal.comNigeriareported earlier on Monday that Adi, who signed a three-year contract extension in March, has drawn interest from Liga MX club Tigres, English Premier League side Crystal Palace and Belgian top-flight club Gent.
However, in a statement provided to MLSsoccer.com, Wilkinson said that he expects the 25-year-old to “honor his commitment to our club.”
“Adi signed a three-year extension in March and we expect him to honor his commitment to our club,” the statement read. “Adi is an important player for the Timbers and we are not entertaining any move for him this summer.”
Adi, who retweeted a link to the Goal report on Monday, initially joined the Timbers on loan from FC Copenhagen in May 2014 and was permanently acquired by the club the next month. He has 34 goals and nine assists in 72 career regular season appearances with Portland and scored twice and notched an assist in six playoff appearances to help the Timbers to the MLS Cup title last year.
On the heels of the championship season, Adi received his first Nigerian senior international call-up in March 2016, but did not appear in either of the Super Eagles’ matches as they were eliminated from Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
The Etihad Airways MLS Player of the Month for April, the 6-foot-4 Adi is currently in sole possession of second-place in the Golden Boot race with nine goals in 15 appearances this year.
Portland, who got a goal from Adi in their 2-2 draw at Real Salt Lake on Saturday, will return to action on Sunday against the Houston Dynamo at Providence Park (6 pm ET; ESPN2 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada).
