Lyon confirm negotiations
Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire are in advanced talks with Olympique Lyon to sign Swiss national team winger Xherdan Shaqiri. Swiss outlet Blick was first to report the news on Friday, writing that Shaqiri will not be in the squad against Monaco (OL have since confirmed) on Friday night as he has asked OL to be transferred to MLS. Transfermarkt understands that negotiations are indeed advanced but not completed at this stage for what could be a new record $6.5 million fee for the Fire (overview). Lyon have since confirmed negotiations in a club statement.
The Swiss outlet further wrote that Olympique Lyon are open to any deal as they want to remove Shaqiri’s salary, reported to be €350,000 a month, from the books. Shaqiri has a close relationship with current Chicago Fire sporting director Georg Heitz from their time together at FC Basel, where the 30-year-old was developed and then sold to Bayern Munich for $12.98 million in 2012.
Shaqiri never truly broke into Bayern’s first team, however, and then spent time at Inter Milan, Stoke, Liverpool before joining Olympique Lyon on a free transfer last summer. There Shaqiri has played 16 games (two goals and three) this season but recently struggled for playing time under head coach Peter Bosz, who seems to prefer Houssem Aouar and Lucas Paqueta behind a natural striker.
Giménez, Nikolics, Aliseda & Co.: Chicago Fire FC’s record arrivals
Boris Sekulic | Signed from Górnik Zabrze in 2020 | Fee: $440,000
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C.J. Sapong | Signed from Philadelphia Union in 2019 | Fee: $440,000
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Dax McCarty | Signed from New York Red Bulls in 2017 | Fee: $440,000
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Marcelo | Signed from Sporting CP in 2019 | Fee: $484,000
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Rafael Czichos | Signed from 1.FC Köln in 2022 | Fee: $500,000
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Dipsy Selolwane | Signed from Vejle BK in 2003 | Fee: $550,000
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Luka Stojanovic | Signed from FK Cukaricki in 2020 | Fee: $550,000
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Piotr Nowak | Signed from 1860 Munich in 1998 | Fee: $594,000
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Shaun Maloney | Signed from Wigan Athletic in 2015 | Fee: $649,000
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Chinonso Offor | Signed from FK RFS in 2021 | Fee: $836,000
© FK Rīgas Futbola Skola
Kacper Przybyłko | Traded from Philadelphia Union in 2022 | Fee: $1.15m GAM
© Philadelphia Union, Andrew Zwarych/MLS
Przemyslaw Frankowski | Signed from Jagiellonia in 2019 | Fee: $1.65m
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David Accam | Signed from Helsingborgs IF in 2015 | Fee: $2.2m
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Robert Beric | Signed from AS Saint-Étienne in 2020 | Fee: $2.2m
© Major League Soccer
Ignacio Aliseda | Signed from Defensa y Justicia in 2020 | Fee: $3.3m
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Nemanja Nikolics | Signed from Legia Warszawa in 2017 | Fee: $3.3m
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Gastón Giménez | Signed from Vélez Sarsfield in 2020 | Fee: $4.5m
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Federico Navarro | Signed CA Talleres in 2021 | Fee: $5m
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Shaqiri to Chicago Fire – Soon among 25 most valuable MLS players
Chicago would, therefore, provide an opportunity for more playing time for Shaqiri. With a market value of $8.8 million, Shaqiri will become the most valuable player on Chicago Fire’s squad (overview) and one of the 25 most valuable players in MLS (overview).
Martínez, Velasco, Reynoso & Co. – The 25 most valuable MLS players
Cristian Roldán | Seattle Sounders | Market value: $6.05m
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Gustavo Bou | New England Revolution | Market value: $6.6m
© Matt Stith/MLS
Karol Swiderski | Charlotte FC | Market value: $6.6m
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Cristian Arango | LAFC | Market value: $6.6m
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Santiago Sosa | Atlanta United | Market value: $6.6m
© Concacaf
Facundo Torres | Orlando City | Market value: $6.6m
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Efraín Álvarez | Los Angeles Galaxy | Market value: $6.6m
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Hany Mukhtar | Nashville SC | Market value: $7.15m
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Ryan Gauld | Vancouver Whitecaps | Market value: $7.15m
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José Cifuentes | Los Angeles FC | Market value: $7.15m
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Carles Gil | New England Revolution | Market value: $7.7m
© Matthew Stith/MLS
Sebastián Driussi | Austin FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Adam Buksa | New England Revolution | Market value: $7.7m
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Valentín Castellanos | New York City FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Brenner | FC Cincinnati | Market value: $7.7m
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Talles Magno | New York City FC | Market value: $7.7m
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Dániel Sallói | Sporting Kansas City | Market value: $8.25m
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Raúl Ruidíaz | Seattle Sounders | Market value; $8.8m
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Alan Pulido | Sporting Kansas City | Market value: $8.8m
© Sporting Kansas City
Alejandro Pozuelo | Toronto FC | Market value: $8.8m
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Lucas Zelarayán | Columbus Crew | Market value: $8.8m
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Marcelino Moreno | Atlanta United | Market value: $8.8m
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Luiz Araujo | Atlanta United | Market value: $11m
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Emmanuel Reynoso | Minnesota United | Market value: $11m
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Alan Velasco | FC Dallas | Market value: $13.2m
© fotobaires.com
Josef Martínez | Atlanta United | Market value: $13.75m
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