CHICAGO, IL–It was one of the worst kept secrets that Chicago Fire FC were in the market for a striker or Number 9. It appears they have their man in Belgian forward Hugo Cuypers in a record $12 million transfer fee from KAA Gent. Cuypers’ contract with the Fire will begin on February 16th and will run through 2026 with an option for 2027. He will occupy an international spot on the Fire’s roster, pending a medical and receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Such is the celebration at the Fire of finally obtaining what they hope is their number nine, that the club is offering tickets starting at $9 for their home opener against FC Cincinnati on March 2nd.
In three seasons in the Juniper Pro League in Belgium (the last two with KAA Gent), Cuypers, 26, notched 64 goals and 25 assists in 126 matches in all competitions. In the 2022-23 campaign, Cuypers earned Jupiler Pro League Golden Boot honors after leading the league with 34 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions, including 20 goals in 33 league matches. He is currently joint-leader in goals scored in the UEFA Europa Conference League with seven.
“We’re thrilled to officially welcome Hugo Cuypers to the club,” Chicago sporting director Georg Heitz said in a release.
“We have been very focused on acquiring a striker in the prime of their career with a proven track record of scoring goals in a very competitive league. Hugo has been one of the leading goal-scorers in the Belgian first division over the last few seasons, and despite receiving interest from other teams, he had a very strong desire to join the Fire and help us achieve our goal of becoming one of the top clubs in MLS.”
All eyes with be on Cuypers to see if he comes as advertised and give the Fire much-needed scoring prowess and give Xherdan Shaqiri someone to pass the ball to. There is no question that the Fire and owner Joe Mansueto have been willing to spend the money to get their way back to the upper echelons of Major League Soccer. It is hoped he can hit the ground running with the season starting on February 24th.
