Santiago Moreno Has Requested a Transfer

Another devastating turn in a miserable season.

By now, you’ve probably heard the news. Ryan Clarke of The Oregonian reported that Santiago Moreno has requested a transfer from the Portland Timbers (link to his article here). Obviously there are a lot of strong emotions surrounding this news. Moreno has been a key player since his arrival in summer 2021. His excellent 2022 was seen as a breakout year from national MLS pundits, but us Timbers fans knew that he was special. 2023 hasn’t been his year at all. Despite leading the team in assists, he has regressed overall in terms of both eye test and stat sheet. 

There are two major factors behind this request. Clarke reported that contract extension talks are going nowhere and Moreno is frustrated with head coach Giovanni Savarese. I’m going to break down both of those factors separately.

Let’s start with the contract talks. Given how tight-lipped the Timbers are concerning in-house negotiations, I can only speculate on what is going on behind closed doors. Santi is under contract until 2026, but moves off the U22 Initiative tag after this season. I think the solution here is pretty easy: give him what he wants. I know he’s been underperforming in 2023, but it’s a transition year. We know what he’s capable of and gambling on a return to form feels like a safe bet. There really isn’t much else to say on that front. I don’t think he’s asking for DP money, but he is key to the team’s success and should be paid like it. In Clarke’s article, he reported that Santi feels “underappreciated.” I don’t understand how Ned Grabavoy and Merritt Paulson could look at the state of the team and not realize how Santi’s regression has seriously crippled the attack. He moved here from his home country with his wife and daughter at a very young age to play for this team. That’s a really hard ask for someone so young. Just pay him, seriously. 

Now we move on to the more worrisome news: his frustration with Savarese. This is the most confusing part of the report to me. According to Clarke, Santi has taken issue with the way he’s been utilized under Savarese. Throughout his time in Portland, Santi has been primarily used as a winger. Often starting on the right, he uses his dribbling and passing ability to find other players to move the ball closer to the box. This type of combo play has been Savarese’s main method of attacking in possession. It often presents itself in the team trying to pass the ball into the back of the net. When that fails, the team usually focuses on whipping in crosses from wide areas. This has been Santi’s role from day one. Aside from a few matches earlier in the season where he played as an 8, Santi’s role in a healthy squad is on the right wing. That’s what I don’t understand about this comment from Moreno. He does have more responsibility now, but that’s also due to his status on the team. Key players should have more responsibility. It is unclear what role he wants to play, but shouldn’t a winger be most comfortable on the wing? Clarke also mentioned Savarese’s press conference following Saturday’s loss in Minnesota. Gio criticized the effort of some of his players and mentioned some who he thought gave their all in the Twin Cities. Moreno’s name was not among those Savarese listed. He did not have a good game and I thought Moreno was trying during the game, but the lack of quality outlets around him held him back. It is also worth mentioning Moreno’s struggles in front of goal this season. He’s had a couple clear-cut opportunities that he hasn’t finished properly. 2022 Santi is making the net bulge on those chances. The stats back this up, as Santi’s 2.9 xG mark is third on the team behind Evander and Franck Boli. His 6 big chances missed are the most on the team. I’ve been chalking up his finishing struggles to a lack of confidence, but maybe there is more to it. He leads the team with 2.6 successful dribbles per 90, so his main regression is mostly due to his troubles in front of goal. I remember in the Dallas game when a penalty was awarded and then taken away. Santi was standing on the penalty spot with the ball in his hands. He needed that goal desperately. That’s why I’m so confused with his frustration with the coaching staff. He’s still been solid but just can’t score.

The majority of the public’s reaction to this report has been one of anger towards Savarese. This is the third player in the past 8 months who has publicly called him out. Eryk Williamson was frustrated at being left out of the 2022 season finale in Salt Lake, but it seemed like him and Gio patched things up in the offseason. Aljaz Ivacic was angry earlier this season after Savarese benched him for David Bingham. Savarese cited injury concerns, but Ivacic flat out said Gio was lying. Now Moreno is openly wanting to move away, and named Savarese as one of the reasons why. Objectively, this is not a good look for Gio. The team’s struggles this year on the pitch are bad enough without unhappy players. Santi was benched in the first half of yesterday’s match in Colorado, and I assumed it was a rotation choice. Santi’s comments are now making me believe otherwise. I don’t think that Santi would’ve spent the entire match on the bench, but we will never know that since the game got postponed. 

The solution here is simple. Calling for Gio’s head is still not the right choice in my mind. I think the contract talks are the most important part of this news despite the valid reaction of the fans who want to see Gio depart the club. If the front office and Santi can agree on a good contract, he’s going to stay (obviously). Maybe Santi does truly want a change in scenery, but he wouldn’t be negotiating a new contract if he truly wanted to leave. This is still a developing situation, and I imagine we’ll be hearing more about it with each coming day. However, I remain optimistic that he will stay. Just find the right number that suits all parties because it should have never gotten to this point. The team doesn’t have another match scheduled until July 15, and Clarke reported that Santi has left for Colombia during the break. Hopefully when he returns there will be a concrete solution.