Que Deus Nos Abençoe e Nos Proteja!
Well, that didn’t take too long!
Newly appointed Chicago Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter wasted no time making what might be the biggest splash in MLS transfer rumor history. Well, maybe second to the arrival of Lionel Messi a couple of years ago.
Still, Fire fans can see just how aggressive Berhalter and his newly appointed staff are trying to be during this offseason/preseason transitional period.
Rumors around socials began to pick up traction yesterday when a tweet was posted stating that the Chicago Fire and Brazilian superstar Neymar have been in talks discussing a possible move to MLS.
The original tweet came from @AbdulAzeez8659 on X.
He has an offer from Chicago fire FC which gets huge salary similar to what he’s getting with Al Hilal
— Abdul Azeez (@AbdulAzeez8659) January 15, 2025
At first, it didn’t seem like much, mainly because the account only has 18 followers. However, reputable X users on the #cf97 began to confirm the speculation and backed the rumor all afternoon long.
Major outlets like ESPN and MLS analysts like Hercules Gomez and Tom Bogert also tweeted out the rumor, stating that preliminary contract talks were held between our beloved Fire and Neymar.
Now, we can’t get too ahead of ourselves because we all know very well what happens when the Fire is linked with a massive player signing. However, this one just feels a little different.
Rumor has it that Neymar and his father, who is his agent, are in talks with three MLS sides: Chicago Fire, Inter Miami, and an unknown third club.
PHOTO: IG/@shakojr_
It’s almost impossible for Miami to be in the running for Neymar, given that they would probably have to break all kinds of financial rules to sign him. Their roster is insanely stacked and expensive already; I’m not sure how they could manage to land Neymar with the current payroll they already have. The Fire, on the other hand, has lots of cash to play around with, and like I’ve said in recent months, Berhalter is looking to arrive and make a giant splash. This, indeed, is the kind of splash that can bring massive attention to his new club, whether good or bad, at the end of the day. Welcome back to MLS, Gregg Berhalter!
Early reports suggest that the Fire are offering a two-year contract worth around $20 million plus many incentives, a deal very similar to the Messi and Miami contract. You’d have to assume that Neymar would also get a percentage of jersey sales, ticket sales, and a cut from any other future sales Chicago Fire would make in the near future.
Does Neymar really need the money? Absolutely not – he just made north of $100 million in Saudi Arabia despite only playing a couple of games after dealing with a major injury (ACL.)
The attraction of the league at the moment and how much more popular it will continue to get over the next few years because of the upcoming World Cup is what Neymar might be eyeing, in all sincerity. Not just for him as a ball player, but for his image, he may be looking to repair his brand. Major attention will be paid to North America over the next couple of years, and Neymar and his father are very well aware of it.
As I mentioned, though, an important note to keep an eye on is that the Brazilian superstar has just returned from a devastating knee injury, which kept him sidelined for about a year. He’s also getting up in age, and it’s no secret Neymar has had trouble recently staying match fit ready. Is he the kind of player the Fire needs to turn the club around? I don’t think he will be the key to making a playoff push, given that the MLS season is exceptionally long, travel takes a major toll on players, and it would seem too rushed for the recovering superstar to make a heavy impact.
This is the buzz the Fire have been dying for, and boy, oh boy, do they have everyone’s attention now.
Gregg, whether you pull through or not, you have my respect for now. We can see you’re going for it all.
PHOTO: IG/@shakojr_
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