A USMNT star could be soon hanging his kicks in the Rose City. So says Timbers owner and President Merritt Paulson. A slow start kept the Timbers outside of the playoffs last year. Stung by serious injuries to key players (Diego Valeri and Will Johnson), the Timbers could be looking for a spark to prevent this year’s team from meeting that same fate.

One minor detail to be worked out will be how the Timbers expect to pay the player. The details of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)–being worked out currently–will yield answers to this question.

The fact that Paulson is hinting about adding a USMNT player could be an indicator of where the CBA is heading. We would expect any major USMNT player to likely occupy a large contract, very possibly as a designated player (DP). Under the current deal teams are only allowed three designated players which the Timbers have in Valeri, Liam Ridgewell, and Fanendo Adi.

The most immediate candidate who springs to mind is Sacha Kljestan. Kljestan is a central attacking midfielder much in the vein of Valeri. Kljestan was en route to the league last year to join the Galaxy for a non-DP, short-term loan before the deal was ultimately scuttled.

Kljestan would pair well with Timbers providing a valuable link in the midfield between Diego Chara and the attacking corps.

One name who has already been linked with the Timbers is Jozy Altidore. Altidore has been seldom used in Sunderland after setting a remarkable scoring stretch in the Dutch soccer league.

Altidore doesn’t fit so well with the Timbers though. For one thing, the Timbers are not really wanting for the qualities Altidore possesses. Fanendo Adi has the physical gifts plus the on-the-ball presence that Altidore brings. Meanwhile the Timbers also have Maximiliano Urruti and the recently re-resigned Gaston Fernandez to boot. Add in wingers Rodney Wallace and Darlington Nagbe, it’s hard to see Altidore’s presence beyond fulfilling a luxury but not necessarily a need.