Sources: Cassano Tipped for Summer Move
MIR97 Media
.The Italian winger is seeking first team minutes and could depart Chicago as soon as July. A loan move to sister club FC Lugano is being explored, while teams in Italy's Serie B also could be interested.
Cassano signed a three-year MLS Next Pro contract with the club during preseason after a move from Serie B club Cittadella. Since arriving in Chicago in February, the 21-year-old has trained almost exclusively with the Fire's first team. However, he's ineligible to appear in MLS, even as a short-term call-up, because his salary is in excess of the $104,000 (€92.000) cutoff for second team players playing in MLS.
The Italian winger has been a top player for Fire II this year, consistently showing his quality on the ball, even if it hasn't necessarily been reflected in his top-line statistics. Cassano has three goals and two assists so far, including one assist against Columbus Crew 2 this weekend.
While it is likely he will leave Chicago in some capacity this summer, nothing is imminent. The possibility of a loan to Lugano exists but is far from a certainty as an agreement must be reached between the two clubs for that to happen. The Bianconeri seem like a natural fit as not only do they play in the Swiss Super League, a level in between MLS and MLS Next Pro, but Lugano is also an Italian-speaking city. He would also remain within the Fire's footballing family, as the club is also owned by Joe Mansueto.
Furthermore, a return to Italy remains on the table. Cassano made 10 appearances in Serie B this season before he moved to the United States and had 32 appearances last season (scoring three times). He was previously a goal machine in the AS Roma academy and has been called into multiple Italian youth national team camps since 2022. A move to Italy's second tier would be desirable as it would likely ensure first team football, something that simply isn't possible in Chicago right now given his current contract situation.
The transfer windows in both Italy and Switzerland open on June 30th, so no move would be possible until at least then. Lugano's preseason is expected to start in late June ahead of the Swiss Super League's mid-July start, so if that is what is to happen, Cassano could move in as soon as four to six weeks.
