CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati has made a pair of loan moves that will bring forward Fanendo Adi and midfielder Fatai Alashe to the club for the remainder of the 2018 USL season, pending league and federation approval. Adi arrives on loan from the Portland Timbers and Alashe from the San Jose Earthquakes, with Cincinnati having previously acquired the MLS rights to the players ahead of its move to Major League Soccer for the 2019 season.

A 6-foot-4 forward from Lagos, Nigeria, Adi scored 54 goals in 126 games for the Timbers. Adi had notched two 16-goal seasons and one 10-goal campaign in his four-plus years in the Pacific Northwest. He was named MLS Player of the Month in April, 2016 and on four occasions claimed the MLS Player of the Week award.

Adi originally came to Portland in May, 2014 on loan from FC Copenhagen, where he had competed in the UEFA Champions League against opponents including Juventus, Real Madrid and Galatasaray. Adi helped the Timbers claim their first MLS Cup in the 2015 season, scoring two goals and recording one assists in the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs.

“We are incredibly excited to bring in a proven MLS goal-scorer to our club,” said FCC Head Coach Alan Koch. “The fact that Fanendo has committed to join us now, in this mid-season transfer window, shows how he believes in our team project and where our club is going. We’re excited to get him involved in the squad immediately and embrace him in the culture of our club. We anticipate that he will have a major impact on the pitch for us for the next several years.”