TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
The Portland Timbers have signed forward Tega Ikoba to a homegrown contract through the 2024 season, the club announced Tuesday.
The 18-year-old is Portland's fourth homegrown signing since their inaugural MLS season in 2011. He follows in the footsteps of Hunter Sulte, Blake Bodily and Marco Farfan.
“We are delighted to announce the signing of Tega and would like to thank his family for putting their trust in our club and academy,” Timbers GM and president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson said in a statement. “Tega has spent a considerable amount of time with the first team over the last couple of years and has shown continuous growth throughout the years. His skill set and attributes make him a very exciting player to watch, and we look forward to his maturation as a player.”
Ikoba played one season at the University of North Carolina, where he scored a team-high six goals and tallied two assists in 19 appearances, earning ACC All-Freshman Team honors.
The 6-foot-4 Alabama native made seven appearances (five starts) for T2 in 2020 while with the Timbers academy. He also joined Portland for their 2020 preseason in Costa Rica and 2021 preseason in Arizona, scoring against Phoenix Rising at the 2021 Visit Tucson Sun Cup.
“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to sign our academy player, Tega, with the first team,” Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “He brings a different dynamic to our attack and has enormous potential as a young player. We appreciate the support of Tega’s family in making this possible and look forward to helping him develop as a great forward.”
