Robert Lewandowski Joins Chicago Fire on 2-Year Deal After 10-Year Pursuit
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 3
Robert Lewandowski Joins Chicago Fire on 2-Year Deal After 10-Year Pursuit
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 3
Summary
Chicago Fire signed Robert Lewandowski on a two-year free transfer after Barcelona let the 37-year-old leave at the end of his contract.
A decade-long courtship finally accelerated in January 2025, when Fire's talks over Neymar with agent Pini Zahavi opened a path to Lewandowski.
MLS discovery rights blocked rival league bids, but Fire still had to wait for Barcelona's decision and until 1 January to speak directly with the striker.
Gregg Berhalter then flew to Spain as Fire built a wider package around family, schooling and commercial plans, while fending off European and Saudi interest.
The move sits inside a transfer market already above £1bn in Premier League spending, with clubs increasingly relying on year-ahead planning, data and agent networks.