Bastian Schweinsteiger reportedly offered $16.5 million to join Chicago Fire
When Bastian Schweinsteiger was caught meeting with Chicago Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic earlier this month, it was hard to know how seriously to take it. But it appears the Fire are very serious – to the tune of $16.5 million.
The Fire have offered the German star a contract worth $5.5 million for three years, according to a report from Goal USA that cites unnamed sources. If the reports are true and the deal comes to pass, it would make put Schweinsteiger in the upper echelon of MLS earners.
Schweinsteiger has been on the outside looking in at Manchester United with manager Jose Mourinho freezing the 32-year-old out and it's been widely expected he will make a move in the January transfer window.
For the Fire, the move would be an ambitious one after two straight seasons at the bottom of MLS. Chicago has a lot of holes to fill and that includes the defensive midfielder spot that Schweinsteiger could occupy. The Fire have attempted to be ambitious before, but the league has had a way of thwarting their efforts, causing them to miss out on both Jermaine Jones who went to the Colorado Rapids and Didier Drogba who went to the Montreal Impact in recent years.
Rumors about the former Bayern Munich star being in talks with the Fire were confirmed earlier this month when Schweinsteiger was spotted having a long lunch with Paunovic in Manchester. Whether a deal gets done or not, this round of talks could signal that the Fire are committed to getting out of the basement of MLS, and that's surely a welcome sign for frustrated Chicago Fire fans.
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