How the Chicago Fire achieved roster compliance
Some late roster moves by the Chicago Fire will make the team roster compliant in time for Friday’s 8 p.m. deadline, sources tell MIR97 Media. Goalkeeper Spencer Richey will move to the Supplemental Roster, while midfielder Gastón Giménez will be given a Designated Player tag.
Giménez, who was originally signed by the Fire as a DP in 2020, will not receive a new contract, but will instead be granted the special designation to open up roster flexibility. The 32-year-old Argentine had been bought down to a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) contract ahead of the 2023 season, but will once again be a DP. The change is not intended to be permanent, as he can be bought back down using General Allocation Money (GAM) at any time, once again freeing up the DP slot. Moving Giménez to a DP slot also frees up around a million dollars of allocation money and some salary cap space for the Fire.
Backup goalkeeper Spencer Richey has also been bought down from the Senior Roster to the Supplemental Roster using GAM, ensuring that the first team squad is not too big to be registered. A few weeks ago, the size of the Senior Roster sat at 23, but with the departures of Jairo Torres (via mutual termination) and Kapcer Przybyłko (via a buyout), as well as the buy-down of Richey, the roster now comprises of 20 players. Earlier in the offseason, defender Jonathan Dean was also bought down to the Supplemental Roster.
Wootton to sign first team deal, go on loan to USL
The complete 31-man roster will be filled officially soon, though, as draftee Laurence Wootton is set to finalize a first-team deal in the coming weeks. Wootton, a 24-year-old Englishman out of Ohio State, impressed in preseason, but as an international player, there currently is not room for him in the MLS roster. He will fill “slot 31” on the Supplemental Roster, making him ineligible to play in MLS, but able to go on loan to USL, where he is expected to end up shortly. Justin Reynolds, who is set to sign with FC Lugano on a short-term loan pending visa approval, will still take up a spot on the Supplemental Roster.
Young Fire II winger Omari Glasgow, who impressed with the first team throughout preseason, is unable to sign a full first team deal at the moment, and will remain with the second team, but remains available to be called up on a short-term loan if he is needed in MLS. The Guyanese talent’s international status also serves as a roadblock, as he would, like Wootton, require an international roster slot.
Green Card updates
A recent change to rules regarding international slots also open some potential flexibility for the Fire going forward. Defender Rafa Czichos and Midfielder Fede Navarro, both of whom have spent multiple seasons with the Fire already, are in the process of working toward acquiring a Green Card. If both are finalized, they will no longer take up an international slot on the roster, similarly to how Arnaud Souquet’s recent Green Card acquisition ensures he is considered a domestic player on the roster. The Fire have been one of the most efficient teams around MLS when it comes to securing player Green Cards, and this presents the team with more options in roster building.
Where the roster now stands
The Fire once again have three Designated Players on the roster: Xherdan Shaqiri, Hugo Cuypers, and Gastón Giménez. There are five players on TAM-level salaries: Rafa Czichos, Chris Mueller, Arnaud Souquet, Tobias Salquist, and Kellyn Acosta. Fede Navarro, Georgios Koutsias, and Brian Gutiérrez fill the three U-22 initiative slots, and Allan Arigoni is the sole player currently with the club on loan.
Efficiently navigating MLS’ maze of roster rules will certainly give the Fire an advantage, and now, Frank Klopas’ team boasts a well-rounded roster with plenty of MLS experience, unlike in years past. There is also plenty of room for flexibility in the future if the team continues to be aggressive in the transfer market both domestically and internationally, as it was this offseason.
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With less than 48 hours until opening day kickoff in Philadelphia, the Fire team that will start the 2024 season seems set in stone, and is now roster compliant. The MLS domestic trade window will remain open until mid-April, so it is still possible some business could take place in the coming weeks, but there likely won’t be any big moves until the summer. Should the Fire look to sign a new Young Designated Player, they would be able to open the DP slot by buying down Giménez again, and restoring his TAM status.
