Ex-Whitecaps, Sounders FWD Fredy Montero signs with Portugal's Sporting CP

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Departing

Fredy Montero won’t be returning to the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018.

Portuguese powers Sporting CP announced their signing of the Colombian striker on Wednesday, to a year-and-a-half contract with options to extend it two more seasons, capped by a whopping €60 million (US$73.3 million) release clause.

The move marks a return to Lisbon for Montero, who played for Sporting from July 2013 to February 2016, first on loan from the Seattle Sounders and subsequently via a permanent transfer with a reported seven-figure fee attached.

He left the Verde e Brancos (“Green-and-whites”) on a big-money move to Chinese side Tianjin Teda, but soon found his opportunities limited by China’s adoption of stricter limits on foreign players. That situation led to last year’s season-long loan to Vancouver, where he chipped in 13 goals and six assists in 33 regular-season appearances (26 starts) as VWFC returned to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

Vancouver outlet The Province reported late Tuesday that Montero, whose wife is American, wished to stay with the Whitecaps, but that Tianjin’s transfer valuation was too high.

Montero's career MLS scoring totals across five years of league and postseason play now stand at 61 goals and 42 assists in 165 games.