Chicago Fire reportedly nearing deal with USMNT midfielder Kellyn Acosta

The Chicago Fire are finalizing a deal to sign United States men’s national team midfielder Kellyn Acosta, according to multiple reports. ESPN was the first to report.

Acosta, 28, has spent his entire career in MLS, coming up through the FC Dallas academy and making his first senior squad appearance in 2013. Acosta was linked to a move to Europe in the 2022 January transfer window, but he was instead traded to Los Angeles FC, where he made back-to-back MLS Cup finals and won the MLS Cup in 2022.

Acosta accused his former club, the Colorado Rapids, of blocking his move to Europe in 2022. English Premier club Watford and Spanish La Liga side Granada expressed interest in signing Acosta as a free agent during this transfer window, but it’s unclear if an official offer was ever submitted, according to The Athletic.

The Chicago Fire finished the 2023 MLS season with the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, only better than Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Toronto FC.

Acosta has made 58 appearances with the U.S. men’s national team, including two at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Acosta is a likely candidate to represent the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympics as a designated veteran player.