June 29 (Reuters) – Robert Lewandowski has swapped the Camp Nou for Soldier Field after Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire announced the signing of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich striker on Monday in a deal that will run through the 2027-28 MLS season.
The Polish goal machine, who netted 120 times during his four-year stint at Barcelona, will occupy a Designated Player slot and international roster spot pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate, the Fire said.
Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter did not hold back his enthusiasm for landing one of Europe’s most prolific marksmen.
“From the day (club owner) Joe Mansueto and I met for the first time, we set out to build a world-class Club that inspires greatness, unites Chicago and wins championships,” Berhalter said in a statement.
“Robert embodies those values and represents the standards this city deserves: a champion and a competitor. His arrival reinforces our ambition to compete for trophies and raises the standards for the club to heights worthy of this city.
“We cannot wait to get to work with him and have Chicago see first-hand why he is among the most revered sporting icons in the world.”
The 37-year-old’s signing represents a coup for Chicago Fire, who have landed a striker with an eye-watering 567 goals across all competitions for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund combined.
His trophy cabinet contains 30 trophies from the three clubs while his international pedigree is equally impressive, with the striker captaining Poland, making 167 appearances and finding the net 89 times for his country.
Chicago sit third in the Eastern Conference standings with 26 points after 14 games, seven points behind leaders Nashville.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in MiamiEditing by Toby Davis)
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