Chicago Fire sign Swiss midfielder Shaqiri

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) – Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire signed Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri on Wednesday.

In a statement, Chicago Fire said that Shaqiri, 30, who usually plays on midfield's right flank, signed a two-year deal that will run out at the end of 2024.

Shaqiri's previous team Olympique Lyon confirmed that Chicago Fire paid the French club a €7 million ($8 million) gross transfer fee to acquire the player.

"We're extremely pleased to formally welcome Xherdan Shaqiri to the Fire," Chicago Fire Sporting Director Georg Heitz said.

Heitz praised the Chicago Fire's new signing, calling Shaqiri a "game-changing player".

"We look forward to welcoming him and his family to Chicago very soon," he added.

Shaqiri, a Basel product, joined Olympique Lyon in 2021.

In addition to Basel, he respectively played for Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Stoke City, Liverpool, and Olympique Lyon.

He won the German Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Shaqiri was a Liverpool player when the Reds were crowned the 2020 English Premier League champions.

He won the UEFA Champions League twice; with Bayern Munich in 2013 and with Liverpool in 2019.

Shaqiri scored 26 goals in 100 international caps for his native Switzerland, and featured in FIFA World Cups in 2010, 2014 and 2018.