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Portland Timbers land Sporting KC's Lawrence Olum in trade

The Portland Timbers re-acquired center-back Lawrence Olum in a trade with Sporting Kansas City on Friday.

Sporting KC will receive a first-round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft and $50,000 in general allocation money.

The move comes three days after the Timbers lost center-back Gbenga Arokoyo for the season with a torn Achilles.

Olum, 32, previously played for the Timbers in 2007 and 2008, before they joined MLS.

The Kenya international played four seasons in Kansas City before a year with Malaysian club Kedah FA, then returned to Sporting KC last season.

He appeared in the 2012 U.S. Open Cup final and the 2013 MLS Cup, and last year helped Sporting KC reach the MLS playoffs for a club-record sixth consecutive year.

"Lawrence will give our club another MLS experienced player at defensive mid and central defender. He will also increase our size in the squad, which is important in this league," Timbers coach Caleb Porter said in a statement. "We look forward to his contributions, as I know he's eager to be back in Portland playing in front of the Timbers Army again."