Portland Timbers Land Kristoffer Velde as New DP in $5M Deal

The Portland Timbers are finalizing the signing of Norwegian winger Kristoffer Velde from Olympiacos in a deal worth approximately $5 million, GiveMeSport reports. The 25-year-old will join as a Designated Player to bolster Portland’s attack for the playoff push.

Velde brings proven quality from Europe. He won two Polish league titles with Lech Poznań and starred in their 2022–23 Conference League run, recording seven goals and four assists en route to the quarter-finals. Across all competitions for Lech, he tallied 29 goals and 18 assists in 98 appearances before moving to Olympiacos, where he scored four goals in 21 games.

Born in Norway to an Argentine mother, Velde has one cap for the Norwegian national team and carries the nickname “Veldinho” for his flair and creativity. He joins Portland after the season-ending injury of Jonathan Rodríguez opened a DP spot.

With David da Costa already in the squad and Santiago Moreno aging out of the U-22 slot, Velde's arrival strengthens an already ambitious roster as the Timbers aim to climb from fifth place in the West into serious playoff contention.