Berhalter: Chicago Fire Put "Best Foot Forward" in De Bruyne Pursuit

Kevin de Bruyne was officially unveiled as a new Napoli player this morning, bringing an end to the Chicago Fire’s pursuit of the Belgian superstar.

The Fire had offered a $12 million salary to the free agent, but after lengthy consideration, de Bruyne opted to turn it down and instead sign for the newly-crowned Italian champions.

“I think we put our best foot forward,” Fire Head Coach and Director of Football Gregg Berhalter said Thursday. “Unfortunately, he wanted to continue to play in the Champions League, and he still has that burning desire which is great.”

Napoli have, of course, already qualified for next season's edition of Europe's elite continental competition by virtue of their Scudetto win last month. De Bruyne could feature in a midfield trio alongside Serie A Player of the Season Scott McTominay and U.S. Men's National Team star Yunus Musah, who has also been linked with a move in recent days. De Bruyne signed a two-year deal with Napoli with a salary reportedly around just €5 million ($5.79 million) net, but with an additional €10 million signing bonus.

Even if financial terms clearly weren't the sole deciding factor in de Bruyne's decision, there were other aspects that might have made Major League Soccer appealing. League comissioner Don Garber was involved in the pursuit, as was club owner and chairman Joe Mansueto, who pitched the benefits of Chicago both on and off the field.

“MLS would have offered him a different challenge,” Berhalter said. “Especially with the 2026 World Cup being played in the States, it would be a fantastic oppportunity for guys like de Bruyne to show their skills and really be a flag bearer for MLS. But it wasn't to be, and we'll move on.”

The Fire's Designated Player priotiries have already shifted, with Berhalter and his staff moving on to other targets to potentially fill the third and final DP slot on the senior roster. Names like Bayern München's Thomas Müller and Chelsea's Raheem Sterling have been floated previously. The expectation remains that the DP will be a big name and one of the biggest players in MLS, and that it could even be someone on the younger end.

After being willing to pay $12 million annually to de Bruyne and upwards of $20 million for Neymar Jr. in January, it's also clear that money isn't an obstacle. While nothing is set in stone, the plan certainly remains to add a DP this summer and complete the Fire's roster.

“Our main intention is to improve the team and make the team better,” Berhalter said. “When you talk about a DP, it has to be someone that we feel makes the team materially better.”