Minnesota are reportedly bringing one of their own back home, with FiftyFive.One reporting on Wednesday that the club have agreed to a transfer fee with Liga MX’s Club Leon to acquire Miguel Ibarra.
The website reported earlier in the week that Ibarra’s MLS rights were sent to Minnesota by Portland in Monday’s trade, which flipped the Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella (whom MNUFC acquired in the Dec. 13 MLS Expansion Draft). Neither Minnesota nor Portland included Ibarra’s rights in their announcement of the Attinella trade, only officially stating that Minnesota had acquired Portland’s second-round selection in the 2018 SuperDraft in exchange for the 28-year-old goalkeeper.
Portland reportedly tried to acquire Ibarra on loan from Leon prior to the start of the 2016 season.
After being drafted and cut by Portland in 2012, Ibarra landed with Minnesota. He played three seasons with the club in NASL, twice earning Best XI nods, receiving a call-up to the US national team in October 2014 and winning the NASL Golden Ball that November before moving to Leon in June 2015.
Things haven’t gone so smoothly in Mexico for Ibarra, who has featured only eight times for Leon and has not been called to the USMNT since moving to the club.
In total, the 26-year-old Ibarra tallied 17 goals in 90 appearances in 3 1/2 years with Minnesota. He has three career caps with the USMNT.
