Vincent Janssen is close to extending his career in Major League Soccer, according to The Athletic. The 32-year-old striker is expected to agree a deal with the Portland Timbers soon and will join on a free transfer after leaving Royal Antwerp.
After leaving Antwerp this summer, Janssen is available without a transfer fee. The report says the Dutchman will not fill a Designated Player spot at Portland. He arrives after striker Felipe Mora's move to Atlético San Luis in Mexico.
For Janssen, it would mean a return to North America. He previously played for Mexico's Monterrey between 2019 and 2022, scoring 24 goals across three seasons. He also won the CONCACAF Champions League with the club in 2021.
Last season, Janssen captained Royal Antwerp and produced 13 goals and seven assists in 40 competitive appearances. He played no fewer than 3,579 minutes.
His big breakthrough came at AZ, where he finished as the Eredivisie's top scorer in the 2015/16 season with 27 league goals. That form earned him a transfer worth around 25 million dollars to Tottenham Hotspur, the biggest move of his career at the time.
On the international stage, the striker won 22 caps for the Netherlands and scored seven times. He was also part of the Netherlands squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
At the Portland Timbers, he is set to begin a new project under recently appointed head coach Martí Cifuentes. Janssen is the American club's first major summer signing, and more reinforcements are expected during the transfer window.
There, the former AZ striker will compete with 21-year-old Venezuela international Kevin Kelsy, who has already scored eight times this MLS season.
Portland currently sit 10th in the Western Conference and, with 17 matches still to play, are only two points off a play-off place.