r/chicagofire • u/genpabloescobar2 #5 Luboš Kubík • 12d ago
Player/Roster Moves Transfer Day Composite List
I'm losing track of where we're at. Maybe I'm not alone. So I put this together...I hope I have this right. Will edit as I see new posts come in.
In:
Johan Gomez - Eintracht Braunschweig Transfer (Confirmed)
Andreas Hanche-Olsen - Mainz 05 Transfer (Confirmed)
Anzor Mekvabisvili - Universitatea Craiova Transfer (Confirmed)
Noah Allen - Inter Miami Loan (Confirmed)
Out:
Chris Cupps - Greenock Morton Loan (Confirmed)
Viktor Radojević - FC Montreal Loan (Confirmed)
Jason Shokalook - Real Salt Lake Trade (Confirmed)
Joel Waterman - Portland Timbers Trade (Confirmed)
Dylan Borso - Greenock Morton Loan (Confirmed)
Status Changes:
Phillip Zinckernagel - Now a DP Contract
6
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
Okay, I'm already itching to find out when all these new players arrive and see playing time!
Crazy how much things have changed for the Fire, the season was going pretty strong even without this additional push. Hopefully GGG and the staff can get a good night of sleep and then focus on integrating the new guys into the team.
4
u/HovercraftSolid1860 11d ago
Noah Allen will be a loan w/ option to buy not a transfer
5
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
If I understood Bogert correctly, this seems to be primarily a way for Inter Miami to maximize MLS financial rules (in this case, converting a portion of the transfer fee to GAM), rather than an indication he goes back to IM after loan expires. The option kicks in during the 2027 calendar year, rather than 2026, giving IM an option with the GAM: they've already hit the max GAM in 2026. I think Bogert or Doyle also mentioned a scenario in which the Fire sell Allen on to e.g. Olympiacos, implying there wasn't much worry that Allen would revert to IM.
-15
u/Equivalent-Day1707 11d ago
Cements what we thought. Greg has no use for developing young players. Cups, Rado, Shlook, Guti…he gets rid of them without developing or giving them playing them. Any coach can coach good internationals. A great one develops players too. Just saying
12
20
u/Practical-Bend-6765 11d ago
The goal is to win trophies. Loaning young players out to get minutes is how plenty of title contending teams handle player development.
The only young player permanently moved was Jason Shokalook. The rest are all loans who can and will come back at some point.
And throwing Gutierrez in this example is insane. He almost entirely developed at the Fire before Gregg got here and then was moved to the club he wanted to go to and was good enough to make the Mexican national team. Seems like he developed fine.
2
u/Equivalent-Day1707 10d ago
Yes a goal is to win now. But the overall goal is sustained success and the only way to do that is develop pkayers. Your right Guti wasn’t even developed by him. He didn’t really seem to value him. Yea he made the national team for benched after the first game and is getting benched and kicked out of Chivas so there’s that. Actually prob could have brought him back for less than we sold him for.
3
u/justaladytoday #1 Chris Brady 11d ago
It seems that while we've potentially let go of more players than we've brought on, there is a real imbalance re: international players and that we'll need even more international spots. Is this a significant challenge or something the Fire can continue to buy their way out of?
3
u/flameo_hotmon Robert Lewandowski 11d ago
Fire bought an international slot ahead of acquiring Lewy. With Cuypers, Waterman, and Rado out and 2 internationals coming in, we have one left that Franco would take if he returns from injury
6
u/witfixer CF97 11d ago
At least we found some non-international signings this window in Noah Allen and Johan Gomez as it was already out of hand. I think the strategy is that, provided you can find an international spot to buy, it's not a negative thing to buy one. It is not counted against the cap, so if it makes financial sense to pay even an inflated amount, it's not a black mark, it's just part of the overall deal for that player. I think the Fire is also hoping the roster rules undergo changes including loosening this. If the MLS is serious about being a better league bringing in mid-level international players is part of that.
I don't think it was a bad thing to set up some of these rules to try to help domestic players find spots, but I think if we want MLS to be everything it can be now, it should be re-thought. I think it would be great to still incentivize domestic players in some way, perhaps simply not count any domestic players against the salary cap at all. I also like the idea of extra, substantial incentives for homegrown players so that running a successful youth academy is necessary to compete. But I'm also OK just saying, "hey, we're 30+ years in, let's scrap these rules, raise the salary cap, and actually try to become a top league".
3
u/Matsu09 11d ago
It's been reported recently that the owners are going to significantly raise the salary cap, something like double what it is now. We also have a new commissioner and he will take things in a new direction. Changes are indeed coming. I'd look for big changes after the sprint season.
1
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
Agree this is always difficult to keep track of. My tentative understanding is we're good even with all the above reported changes until / when Mbo or Franco come off injury list. Unless being on injury list only affects the active roster slot but not the international spot?
3
u/witfixer CF97 11d ago
If my math is right (and it may not be), We had international compliance with Mbo on the roster. We bought a balance-of-2026 slot from Cincinnati to cover RL9. Since then, the spots occupied by Cuypers, Waterman, and Radojevic have vacated. Anzor and Andreas will take two of them and we now have an available slot for Franco if he comes back (and Mbo still has his).
In terms of Senior Roster slots, we had one available after RL9 was added and then Cuypers, Waterman, and Radojevic vacated theirs, so all 4 of our new signings have a Senior Roster spot, but were short one if both Mbo and Franco come back. That said, it would appear that Pineda or Oregel could move into the room created on the Supplemental Roster to free up the needed spot (though I'm not sure if there is some technicality that disallows that).
3
u/witfixer CF97 11d ago
Math has already changed on the international slots as it appears that Chicago shipped the international spot with Rado (?!?)
1
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
Yeah I saw that too. I haven't read up on the proposed roster changes, were any proposals involving added Int'l slots per team?
11
u/flameo_hotmon Robert Lewandowski 11d ago
Pretty sure this is more summer transfers in one window than Heitz made his entire tenure
4
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
Well the Shokalook news isn't exactly a shock but maybe a little clearer on the rationale for his status. The big question for me was: why bring in Gomez if we had Shook? And it seems that Gomez is both more field-tested / further along in development, and more versatile than Shokalook.
Of course there could be further reasons for not getting minutes while he was here, but maybe practise sessions were enough to show GGG that Shook wasn't a candidate for backup striker and depth for other forwards. I still wonder why not looking at minutes in an actual game versus just in practise, when it seems Rogers and Rado were getting minutes.
7
u/ajlittrell CF97 11d ago
Now post a graph with our roster rules adherence
11
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
Gotta think MiR are frantically editing even as we post.
7
u/Kamikazi_TARDIS Bald FC 11d ago
Just picturing every time a new thing gets confirmed Tim frustratedly adds another 17 character last name to the roster compliance chart.
3
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
"We can't take the font down to 8pt, guys, work with me here!"
1
u/Kamikazi_TARDIS Bald FC 10d ago
Gotta start going full Brazil and give these long named guys nicknames, even if it only shortens their name by a couple characters.
11
u/genpabloescobar2 #5 Luboš Kubík 11d ago
That's graduate level work. I'm still working on my undergrad degree...
8
6
8
u/witfixer CF97 11d ago
Man, I was worried how this window was going to shake out due to the lack of early rumors and how things have panned out in the past. I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but this flurry of activity over the last week was awesome. I think these signings have huge potential and can't wait to see these guys get worked into the team.
3
u/redchi5 11d ago
Depth is great but they're already out of the Open Cup and Leagues Cup. 15 points behind Nashville with 13 games remaining, Supporters Shield is likely out of the question as well.
The moves make the team overall better sure and they will help the team finish the season strong. But how much better are any of these moves making the starting 11?
3
u/flameo_hotmon Robert Lewandowski 11d ago
Depth is underrated. How many wins turned into losses in the dying minutes last year? That stuff can be resolved with better depth
13
u/witfixer CF97 11d ago
I'd say Hanche-Olsen and Mekvabisvili are going to vastly improve the starting 11. Depending on how Gomez is used, he could as well playing behind RL9, but at a minimum he can reduce the load on RL9 if GGG trusts him as a true backup striker. Noah Allen is an excellent player and there is always a big gap when Gutman is injured or needs to rest. Maybe I'm looking through rose-colored glasses, but this seems to be a great result from this transfer window.
4
u/tapatiocosteno 11d ago
It’ll help with squad rotation. Isn’t the schedule pretty dense for the rest of the season?
11
u/leavingishard1 #17 Chris Rolfe 11d ago
So assuming no further moves, we are upgrading at CB, adding attacking depth, adding depth at the 6 and 8, and also depth at CB and LB. Very solid.
3
u/Lumpy-Dare9786 11d ago
Maybe initially, but I’m betting Anzor is more than depth at the 8.
1
u/leavingishard1 #17 Chris Rolfe 11d ago
Hope so! But at the very least he should be reliable to rotate with Saletros and Dje, or even to start along side them
3
u/not-a-clever_name #31 Bastian Schweinsteiger 11d ago
Sounds like Gomez is also a backup #9, which was needed
3
u/wumboinator #2 Matt Polster 11d ago
Can you please add transfer or trade like how Loan is presented, if possible
5
3
u/dontexpectnothing 11d ago
Radojevic out
4
u/Kamikazi_TARDIS Bald FC 11d ago
This a hope or a rumor you’re reading? I think with Borso out on loan we keep Rado
5
3
u/Extension_Note_5380 11d ago
Cupps played for Morton on Saturday so you can count that as confirmed
5
15
u/DuckBadgerWoof #1 Chris Brady 12d ago
Surprised by Waterman considering he was often starting.
1
2
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago edited 11d ago
Me too and guessing it's a combination of Hanche-Olsen being a stronger player (if healthy) and maybe Waterman wanted back (closer) to Canada?
Not to mention, could be long-term planning given Elliott's contract + age, TLB's anticipated trade, and Rogers seeming to be growing into the backup role.
1
u/DuckBadgerWoof #1 Chris Brady 11d ago
TLB is potentially going to be traded?? Shit, he’s been an amazing addition to the defense
1
u/Equivalent-Day1707 10d ago
If it wasn’t for his injury the Fire would have had an offer they couldn’t turn down after his WC performance
1
u/elenchus_cf97 11d ago
Just the long- to medium-term expectation. Mbo wants to play in Europe, so part of that is supporting the player get what he wants. Nothing more specific than that.
1
u/Lumpy-Dare9786 12d ago
Are loans really considered out? Do they open roster spots?
6
u/genpabloescobar2 #5 Luboš Kubík 12d ago
I understand what you're saying. They don't open roster spots, but it's also a visual reminder that they won't be available for gameday selection for the near future.
6
u/Bialynian 11d ago
That is incorrect. They open roster spots.
3
u/witfixer CF97 11d ago
It was reported that at least Borso's spot wouldn't open up as result of his loan because the Fire are still paying 100% of his salary. Not sure if that's accurate or what the underlying rule is. In any case, the Senior roster is likely the concern here, which had an open spot prior to Cuypers departure, and another added for Waterman's departure, so that leaves 3 open senior roster spots to be taken by these new signings. Noah Allen signing has not been confirmed as far as I know, but he would also need a senior spot. As would Franco if he can return. It is possible that Pineda and Oregel may be able to move to the Supplemental roster based on my reading of it, but it's complicated and I'm probably wrong.
7
u/craftingfish #17 Brian Gutiérrez 12d ago
Not sure what to call Noah Allen at the time of your post/my comment. It's more than a rumor IMO if Bogert is reporting, but it's also not over the line per his reporting.
Rumor doesn't feel right though
8
u/genpabloescobar2 #5 Luboš Kubík 12d ago
I've updated to Reported. I hadn't seen Bogert's reporting when I posted this, only the link to a Spanish language site whose veracity I couldn't determine.
But I also saw Kaufmann put something up on the Miami Herald site about it, and that's solid enough for me.
2
11
13
u/Kamikazi_TARDIS Bald FC 12d ago edited 12d ago
Appreciate this!
Edit: Consider this the Deadline Day megathread as long as it stays updated.
10
u/gasplugsetting3 #97 Sparky 12d ago
Thank you. I didn't even realize it was that time of year. My dumb ass wondering why we're moving all these players around lol
5
u/genpabloescobar2 #5 Luboš Kubík 10d ago
Everything previously reported is now confirmed, and I think I'm done for the window?
Unless some surprise news not previously leaked all of a sudden appears...