Inside the Fire’s Transfer Strategy for the Summer Window

The 2025 MLS summer transfer window is officially open, and the Chicago Fire are already making moves – or at least preparing to. To be clear, the club has been sitting idly until now. Sporting Director/Head Coach Gregg Berhalter and his backroom staff have been active behind the scenes for months, laying the groundwork for key moves this summer. But only now, during this month-long window, are teams allowed to formally register new players.

Today, we’re breaking down what kind of flexibility the Fire actually have, and what they might do with it.

Mueller moves to SEI

The most significant news of the week came with the announcement that winger Chris Mueller will officially miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Mueller, who was diagnosed with a cardiac condition during preseason, has not been medically cleared to return and hasn’t appeared in a match this year.

As a result, the Fire have placed him on the Season-Ending Injury (SEI) list. That designation is important: while Mueller will still be paid in full and remain around the team, his roster spot is now vacated. This allows the Fire to add an extra new player to their senior roster, something they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. It’s not a total game-changer as they can't sign someone earning more than Mueller, but it does provide an additional spot for reinforcements down the stretch.

Before today, the Fire had just one open senior roster spot, which was presumed to be reserved for a Designated Player (DP). With Mueller on the SEI list, they now have a second senior slot available, offering more options as the window progresses.

Open DP slot

The Fire’s transfer strategy in 2025 has been fascinating. Berhalter’s focus has ranged from global superstars to players from fairly obscure leagues.

At different points this year, Chicago made serious pushes to add global superstars Neymar Jr. and Kevin de Bruyne – moves that very nearly materialized but ultimately fell just short. At the other end of the spectrum, they’ve also drawn from more unusual wells, pursuing players like Djé D'Avila in a more than $4 million swap from Portugal’s second tier and Sam Rogers, who was recently relegated from Norway’s top flight.

Currently, all signs point to Bodø/Glimt captain Patrick Berg as one of the Fire’s top targets. Reports out of Norway this week indicated that the club submitted a major offer for the 27-year-old midfielder. While not all details of the report were exactly correct numbers-wise, it’s true that negotiations are ongoing and serious.

The main hurdle remains the different valuations between the clubs. Bodø reportedly rate Berg around $4–5 million higher than Chicago’s initial bid, seeking a fee in excess of 120 million Norwegian kroner (potentially as much as $13 million US). Berhalter and the Fire greatly appreciate the player, but would only be willing to pay so much for a player without any significant experience in Europe’s top leagues, and right now Bodø’s valuation greatly exceeds what the player is really worth on the global market.

Even if this specific deal falls apart, Chicago’s intent is clear: they are targeting a third DP this summer, and it won’t necessarily be an attacking midfielder.

Rethinking the DP?

Much of the early speculation this year assumed the Fire would use their final DP slot on a creative #10-type attacking midfielder. De Bruyne would have filled that mold as he’s one of the last greats in the dying breed of true #10s, but Berg isn’t. He’s a deep-lying midfielder who shields the back line, recycles possession, and dictates the tempo.

That’s not to say he’s limited. The Fire believe Berg could also play as a box-to-box #8, offering more drive and dynamism in a midfield that, while solid, has been fairly limited itself at times this season. Even if the Berg deal doesn’t go through, don’t rule out another move for a top-tier defensive or two-way midfielder. The emphasis appears to have shifted away from making a splash and toward pure function.

International formalities

From a structural standpoint, adding a third DP is not an issue. That slot has existed since the offseason and has been left deliberately open.

The one caveat is international slots. The Fire are currently out of them, and any new non-American signing – like Berg, a Norwegian citizen – would require one. These slots, tradable league-wide, typically cost between $75,000 and $150,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), but the price can vary significantly based on timing and leverage. Chicago could also package a player or SuperDraft picks in a trade to sweeten the deal.

It’s possible, though unlikely, that an existing international player could receive a U.S. green card, opening a slot internally. Of the current squad, Designated Player Jonathan Bamba of France might be the most plausible candidate long-term, but he only arrived in Chicago earlier this year, and there’s been no indication that the green card process is underway.

In essence, if the Fire want to sign a new DP from abroad, they’ll likely need to trade for an international slot.

The extra roster slot

Mueller’s move to the SEI gives the Fire a second open senior roster spot. That may not sound massive, but in a league with tight roster rules, it matters. The club can now bring in another contributor – either a long-term addition or a short-term deal to boost depth during the second half of the season.

So where could that help come? A few areas stand out.

While Chicago technically have five center backs on the roster – Jack Elliott, Sam Rogers, Carlos Terán, Christopher Cupps, and Omar González – none have fully locked down the position beyond Elliott. Cupps is arguably the most talented American center back prospect in the league, but he’s only just turned 17, has just two MLS starts, and just returned from a six-week injury. A more experienced reinforcement would add stability to the center back room, but a signing would likely only be made if it was a ceiling raiser, not a floor raiser.

The Fire’s starting winger trio of Bamba, Philip Zinckernagel, and Maren Haile-Selassie has been excellent and arguably the team's strongest unit. But behind them, depth is thin. Adding a fourth winger, even on loan, could go a long way in helping the team rotate and avoiding burnout. Such a move might push the Fire close to their salary cap limit, but as long as they’re compliant by the final deadline, that won’t be a problem.

Potential for a third open slot?

There’s one final way that could open a third senior roster slot. If a player currently on the roster were to depart, the Fire would, of course, be able to sign a third player to the senior roster in the summer window. This even includes a potential departure from the supplemental roster, as they could shift Omar González to that now-open supplemental spot due to his low salary, vacating a senior slot.

Several players on the supplemental roster have barely featured for the first team and have primarily played with the second team in MLS NEXT Pro. It’s not unreasonable to imagine one could leave the club or be loaned out in the coming weeks. It’s worth noting that for a loaned-out player to open a roster spot, their new club must pay 100% of their salary. Otherwise, they still count against the Fire’s roster and cap.

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To summarize: the Fire have one DP slot available, two senior roster spots (possibly three if a player departs), and can trade for an international slot if needed. Their approach this summer is more pragmatic than the star-chasing they engaged with throughout the winter and spring. Berg, or someone like him, fits a clear vision for what Berhalter wants this team to be.